


The Spark of Love

by DarkJediQueen



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AI, Alternate Universe, Androids, Bad Friend Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Jackbots - Freeform, M/M, Sex and Circuitry, idiots falling in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:13:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29425809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/pseuds/DarkJediQueen
Summary: Stiles Stilinski never thought the answer to everything would be Peter Hale. Peter never thought that he would find everything he wasn't looking for in Stiles.
Relationships: Stiles Stilinski/Peter Hale
Comments: 28
Kudos: 245
Collections: Sex and Circuitry, Steter Discord Valentine's Exchange 2021





	The Spark of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lostwithoutmyanchor (mysourwolf)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysourwolf/gifts).



> **Year** : Future  
>  **Spoilers** : Everything  
>  **Notes** : Set in the lovely world of Sex and Circuitry by Bunnywest, DiscontentedWinter, & Twisted_Mind. For the Steter Network Discord Valentine's Exchange.  
>  **Alpha** : V.Mures  
>  **Beta** : ScarsLikeVelvet  
> 

Stiles slipped into his bedroom and dropped his backpack onto his bed. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. He was tired as hell. He just wanted to go to sleep, but he still had homework to do. It was the one afternoon a week where he didn't work, and he was going to make the most of it. He did have a job later that evening, but it was late, starting at nine and running until who knew when. He snagged a can of Redbull from his mini-fridge and popped it open, chugging about half of it before he kind of regretted it. He grabbed his leftovers from the fridge and popped those open to put some into his stomach to make it happy.

Living with Scott had been okay for the first two years of college, from their shared dorm to the apartment they were now in. Only around the time that Scott started to date not just Allison but Isaac, Stiles had found that Scott really wasn't the best roommate. Scott ate and drank his food without replacing it, even though Scott's scholarship paid a hell of a lot better than Stiles'. Yet, Stiles had to keep his food and drinks in his bedroom so that Scott didn't eat them. He looked like he lived in a one-room apartment instead of a two-bedroom.

Once he had eaten dinner and finished off his Redbull, Stiles headed into the living room to find the book he had left out there for class. He stopped and looked around as he took in the place. Something was wrong. He was reaching for his cellphone to call the cops when he realized that while things were missing, it was only Scott's things that were missing. He looked around a little closer, and he was right; his things were still there, but Scott's were gone. He frowned and headed into Scott's room to find that it was just as empty.

Stiles stopped breathing for a few seconds before he rushed to the kitchen to look at the calendar. He had just paid the rent. The days kind of blurred together, and he never remembered when to pay it. He had a calendar entry for it on his phone and told him the day of. Stiles called Scott, but it went to voicemail after the usual rings.

"Scotty, bro. Dude, what the hell? Where is your shit? Why aren't you living here anymore?" Stiles hung up and opened up the app for banking. They had a joint account that was used to pay for the rent. Scott at least remembered to put in the money for the rent there. There was a zero balance, which there always was after paying the rent. Stiles really hoped that Scott would end up paying for his half of the rent for this month, while Stiles added finding a roommate to the list of things that he didn't have time for. He had to talk to his boss at the catering company. She really liked him and tried to get him to take extra jobs for clients that paid more. Stiles was half sure that it was how he looked and not entirely his personality, but she liked that as well. Even in the catering business, good looks paid better. He got good fucking tips from people when he flirted a little. He had learned the art of doing that well the first week on the job his freshman year.

Stiles went to his bedroom and worked for three hours on his three papers that needed to be done. The only good thing about having to work to keep food in his body was that he was good at schoolwork. He didn't have issues remembering many things that were needed to be known for class and papers. He was a fairly clean writer. So shoving the work through Grammarly that his father paid for every single Christmas, and Stiles was golden. He finished out the afternoon by emailing the papers to the respective professors. Thankfully, all of them were happy to have his papers at any point after they had ended up with ones that were always turned in right on the dot since he forgot about them after finishing them.

Looking at his cellphone, Stiles saw that Scott hadn't called back, texted, or done anything really. He wasn't in class since he had Fridays off. Scott had made sure of that when he had signed up for classes for the first half of his senior year. He had crowed about it, but Stiles had packed as many credit hours into his year as his scholarship would pay for as it ran out this year. He had one for his post-graduate studies, but it had short as hell credit hours it paid for. His advisor had gotten a few professors to sign off on him being in post-graduate classes while still an undergrad. None of them had regretted it. He made sure that he acted as best as he could.

Stiles called Scott again.

"Scott, I don't know why you are ignoring my call, but I really need to talk to you about this months' rent. I mean, you left me in the lurch, and that means that I don't have the money to cover the rent. You signed a contract that said you would give two months' notice of moving out on paper. I've not seen anything like that, so I assume that means you are paying the next two months' rent as well, right?" Stiles hung up again. He wanted to rant and rave.

Since Scott had gotten together with Allison and Isaac, he had been even worse than when he had dated Allison in high school. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes again. He looked at the time. He had to be at the job location by eight to help set up. It got him extra money when he did that. It was now six. The place he had to go to was only fifteen minutes away by walking. He had more than enough time to get into the shower and get ready. He would make sure to wear the pair of pants that he had for work that was tighter than the rest. They were the same size, supposedly, but they were like half a size too small. The fabric either hadn't been pre-shrunk or just stitched wrong. He wasn't sure, and he really didn't like giving them up. He got good tips when he was wearing them. He had a wonderful ass and thighs that could break a neck, according to one person at the last catering he had gone to. Stiles looked at the email he got from his boss before he shut down his laptop. He had noted the date and time of the event, which had been about it. It was in the fancy assed building that was full of loft apartments. He knew that the building was owned by HaleCorp. He tried to decide which of the shirts that he wanted to wear based on that. The company kept their uniforms in top condition, and it wasn't part of their pay. He basically was renting the clothes. Thankfully, the owner was understanding of accidents happening while on the job. As long as the staff got dressed on location, clothes were replaced with ease. If they didn't, and something happened between home and work, there were issues.

The catering company also had a slightly seedier side that Stiles hadn't taken part in. Sex. Stiles had never agreed to have sex with any of the people at the parties, but there was a clause that they would get a little extra money if they did so. Stiles had never looked into it, so he had no clue. The owner ensured that all parties were consenting, though before she allowed them to leave. If the staffer showed any signs of hesitance, it was a no, and she would not fire them, and if the party ended, they still got the money. If he did that a few times over the next few weeks, he might be able to make the rent without having to take on more jobs than he could do and still keep his grades up.

Stiles huffed and decided that he deserved some fun reading. It was all about school, but he really liked the content, so he settled it in for his fun reading when he completed shit. He set the alarm on his phone and settled into his armchair.

* * *

The city had a lot going for it, but nice people were not it. Stiles had his headphones in and settled into the last block's walk. It was all of the people who were leaving the offices late at night and were bitchy about that. He made sure to grip his backpack straps tighter so that he didn't lose them. His work clothes were inside.

Stiles stopped at the base of the building, back from the flow of foot traffic, and looked up. He could see the lights on at the top of the building. That was the floor that he would be on for the catering. The instructions had him just going in the regular entrance, which Stiles didn't like. Usually, the door people were assholes. He liked going inside using staff entrances.

"Hello," Stiles said as he stepped up to the Securitybot that was standing at the door. If there was any more proof that this was a HaleCorp building, that was it. They used the Securitybots for all of their work locations.

"Good evening, Sir. How may I help you?" the bot asked.

"I am working the party." Stiles held up the lanyard that had his work ID on it as well as the card that would swipe him into the office across town.

"Ah, yes, Mieczyslaw, welcome. Come on inside. The third elevator from the right will take you right up to the floor. It's set for only going there and back down so that everyone can get to the party much quicker."

"Thanks." Stiles was a little shocked the bot could say his name correctly. It was not like most bots had a Polish language pack in them. Though HaleBots were top of the line and he assumed that some of them had all of the world's languages in their head to prove they were superior.

Stepping inside, Stiles saw a lot of the Securitybots in the area. Either they were overly worried about security, or there was going to be a few Hales there that night. Selene never told him who he was working for as it gave him anxiety. That this was happening in a Hale building meant nothing since this was a place where many people lived.

"He'll be twenty-seven on Monday," a voice said from across the room.

"Well, at least they aren't throwing the party on a weekday or Sunday," another said.

So the party was for someone whose birthday it was soon. Stiles shrugged and headed toward the elevator. He pressed the button for the floor he needed, and it started right up to take him there. The ride was smooth, which wasn't a shock. It was HaleCorp. They did everything top of the line. He marveled at the decor of the room when the doors opened. He found Selene and walked up to her.

"Stiles, hello," Selene said as she looked up for a second from her paper. "You look stressed."

"My roommate has moved out with no notice, and I doubt he's going to stick to the contract to pay for two months rent after the notice of moving out. I just paid this month's rent. So any parties or functions you think I can do with my hours, let me know. I'll probably take them."

"Well, I can slot you into something in the morning, and we can go from there. You can always skip the party halfway through," Selene said, and she waggled her eyebrows.

"I might actually take that. Just...walk me through it."

"Okay, you find someone you don't hate, and then if they offer, you come to me. I make sure that everything is on the up and up and get the money from them depending on how long they want you. It's all billed through me, and they pay you and the taxes you would be paying on that."

Stiles nodded his head. He was really going to do it. Sex for money, but at least he might only have to do it a few times. After that, he could get in and tighten his budget on stuff and hopefully get a roommate. Thankfully it was getting close to the winter term, so there would be someone out there who needed a place. He just hoped they were skeevy. Stiles also had the option of forcing Melissa to pay, but that would get back to Sties' father, and that wouldn't be good. He had done so well after his father told him he was stupid for going all the way to New York City to get the degree he wanted.

Noah Stilinski had wanted Stiles to stay close to home, but the best degree for AI in the country was in New York City, and it would get him noticed. He might end up at HaleCrop, ArgentCorp, or even Martin Robotics. He would use that one last as Lydia might actually tell her mother and father to deny him just based on the fact that he beat her out for Valedictorian in high school.

"I know a few people who will be here that I can help point out to you, Stiles. Man or woman?"

"Man," Stiles said. He was bisexual, but he really needed the release he only got with guys. At this point, Stiles was doing it for the money as much as the sex. Sex always relaxed him.

"Ah, I know just the gentleman. I'll talk to him beforehand. He likes to play a game sometimes. I will let him know one of my staff is willing, and he will see if he can figure out who it is. Play hard to get, and he'll eat out of your hand."

"I have issues playing hard to get, but I can play snarky asshole."

"That might be even better with him. Maybe it will pull you out of the funk you are in."

"The funk is called I barely have enough money to make ends meet."

Selene reached out and ruffled Stiles' hair. He didn't even try and fix it. She wouldn't mess it up enough to make him look frumpy, but just enough to make him look like ha had sex hair helped with flirting.

Stiles got dressed and worked on helping in the kitchen after putting on an apron. The place was immaculate, and they had the best machines to do their jobs with.

"I need a latte with three shots, medium, and one pump of peppermint, one caramel, and one chocolate," Selene called into the kitchen.

Stiles moved over to make it as the staff in there right now all sucked at that kind of thing. He wasn't sure if it was for Selene or not.

It was rote to make this. He had worked many morning parties for Selene on the weekends, where it was latte after latte after latte. Some milk was leftover, so Stiles pulled another shot from the machine and added a little caramel to it and the rest of the milk before he downed it in one go. He needed it as his meds were failing him a little, and coffee was a good substitute when he needed it.

The room was mostly full of people already. Even though the party wasn't set to start for another ten minutes. He figured it was all brown-nosers who wanted to be seen there early so that people knew that they were important.

"Thank you, sweetheart," a man said as he took the cup from Stiles' hand before Stiles could even spot Selene.

"You are most welcome, Sir."

"Please, call me Peter. You are?" Peter asked.

"Stiles, Sir," Stiles said. He found Selene on the other side of the man, talking to a woman. There was enough in the looks to tell him that they were siblings or close cousins.

"Tsk, Siring me again." Peter was grinning as he said it. he took a sip of the latte and hummed. "Delightful. Selene said you were the best latte maker she employed. You could teach a thing or two to the person who makes them in my office. Are you going to be hiding in the kitchen all evening?"

"No, Peter. I'll be on the floor with food and drink later."

"Good, someone who looks like you should not be stuck in there. Can I call on you to make me more lattes if I need them?" Peter asked.

"Of course, Sir," Stiles said.

"If I didn't know any better, Stiles, I would think you are doing that on purpose," Peter said.

"Why would I do that, Peter?" Stiles said. He laid the sarcasm thick on Peter's name, and he saw that Peter cracked a smile.

Peter was handsome, older than Stiles but unsure how old he really was. He looked like he knew exactly what he looked like and banked on it without being an asshole. Stiles loved it. He really hoped this was the guy that Selene had been talking about.

* * *

Peter listened to Talia prattle on about the newest advances that HaleCorp was making. He didn't really listen all that close, but his system would record it, and he could play it back if needed to know what she was saying.

All of Peter's attention was on the young man who was flitting around the room. Selene had told him that someone was looking to make some extra money and that they enjoyed sex. It was a lovely little trade that Peter was glad to make. He enjoyed sex; he was at the base a Jackbot, so sex was always there. The rest of him was pure AI that he had been expanding for decades. No one since he had taken over as CFO after his mother's death had been able to figure out that he wasn't a real live boy, as he called it. New skin over his frame every few years with a little aging made it impossible to tell from that.

Stiles stopped by where Talia was talking, his eyes darting over her face before going back to Peter's. Even if Stiles wasn't the man that Talia was talking about, Peter was pretty sure that he could get him into bed with him. Stiles looked like he could bend in fun ways. He seemed smart, as well. Cora had engaged him in a conversation about the law that still had Peter's head spinning a little. Peter loved the law, but his niece had an obsession with it. She had since Kate Argent tried to seduce Derek and get him to pillow talk or just downright hack his laptop and steal information that way.

Since that had happened, Kate was in prison, Gerard was in prison, and ArgentCorp was still teetering on having a bad year, and HaleCorp buying them out. Chris was training his daughter to take over, though there was something about her and her two lovers that Peter wasn't sure was actually true or not. He hadn't had them looked into yet. Allison was still getting her degrees needed so that she didn't fail as CEO when it was time.

"Another latte?" Stiles asked, and the way he said it and the smolder in his eyes actually had Peter's heart rate jumping up some.

"Yes, with a splash of bourbon, please," Peter said.

"Of course, Peter," Stiles said as he spun around.

"Another conquest?" Talia asked with a grin on her lips.

"Not sure yet. He might go home with me, and he might not."

"Well, Derek's arriving with Spencer."

"Great. Let's go greet them. I want to see how Stiles does when greeted by a hyper Spencer," Peter said.

Talia held out her arm, and Peter slipped his into it before escorting her to where Cora and Laura were already flocking to where Derek was. Spencer was handsome in his suit, but he still had a youth's babyface. As a freshman in college, he was grown up, but Peter would always see the tiny baby he held in his hands after Talia had given birth and it had nearly killed them both.

Spencer had been an accident after years of nothing after Laura. Derek and Cora were like Peter, a technology that the Hales kept close to their heart. AIs that were living and breathing inside of Jackbots. The children models that Peter had been built on were too expensive for most people, and so far, there wasn't the demand for it yet. Peter's childhood moving from body to body as time was needed, and then puberty and now adulthood were monitored, and the information scrubbed that would have led back to him.

Derek had nearly been duped by Kate. It had been Peter who had realized what had been going on. Thankfully no one had been able to figure out that he was a Jackbot.

Peter's horrible puberty and programming had made Derek and Cora's lives better, and Peter loved them enough that it was all worth it. He would never have children of his own, and he was okay with that. He didn't need a bot to raise like Talia had done.

It had been Peter who had figured out that Talia was pregnant. The hormones on her had been something he hadn't smelled in over a decade. Spencer was the baby, and he was treated like it by everyone, including his siblings. Peter wasn't even sure if he was a virgin or not with how everyone hovered he wouldn't be shocked if he was. Peter was crass, but he wasn't crass enough to push Spencer to lose his virginity to a Jackbot. Not when Spencer had kept on rebuffing. Peter could understand Spencer wanting his first time to be with a human.

The pleasantries were passed around, with Derek looking around the room at the people he rubbed elbows with. There were no Argents there, even if Chris had sent along a gift. The Argents had not come to a Hale function since the debacle with Kate. Peter would have to push that at some point to get to know Allison better.

"Your latte, Peter," Stiles said.

Derek looked at Stiles and looked him up and down, but Stiles only had eyes for Peter.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Spencer, do you need a latte?" Peter asked.

"Uh, no, I took my meds. I knew I would be up late."

"Ah, well then, I guess you are drinking water tonight," Peter said.

"We have sparkling grape juice. It will be coming around in the pale green flutes," Stiles offered up.'

"Really?" Spencer asked.

"Yes, the birthday boy requested it for those who shouldn't or couldn't drink since his brother was underage," Stiles said.

Spencer turned to look at Derek before rushing to hug him.

Peter smiled as he could see Derek's love in his face as he hugged Spencer back. The Hales loved each other and protected each other.

"If you change your mind, Sir, just flag me down. I am the one that makes the lattes tonight for you guys, Peter's orders." Stiles darted his eyes at Peter with a grin on his lips.

"Well, if I need it, I'll let you know." Spencer turned to look at Derek again before pulling him away.

Peter watched Stiles on and off the next hour before he made his rounds to where Selene was standing and talking to some blowhard politician from New York. He had no clue how he had made it onto the guest list, but he figured someone would not be invited to the next party. The Securitybots recorded who came with who, and that person was gonna get it.

"Selene dear," Peter said as he slipped up beside her. "I do want to talk about the next party."

"Excuse me," Selene said to the politician. She slipped her arm through Peter's and allowed him to escort her to the kitchen area. "Now you hate talking parties. Have you found my little bunny yet?"

"I have no clue, but then again, I've been captivated by Stiles. I will not approach him, though. Ask him if there is anyone here that he would have sex with for money, and then if he says yes, ask him who. If he tells you my name, tell him I am interested. I am done with this party, though. I have seen the family. I have talked with those I hate. I'd rather pound him into a mattress."

"Well, I can most certainly say he will say yes. He only has his backpack with him. The clothes can be ripped off; I need to replace all of his uniform pants with those. They are a half size too small and do wonders for his ass."

"I agree with that. You'll charge my account like normal? Make sure he gets a good tip for the party as a whole."

"I will. So you are saying double?" Selene asked as she made notes on her phone.

"Yes."

"He is also the one I was telling you about, roommate issues, and money is needed."

"Make sure he has what he needs," Peter said.

"I will." Selene waved for Peter to leave.

Peter did so, finding Spencer and Derek still over talking. Spencer was a good buffer for Derek at parties. Spencer could run off most of the people that Derek hated with his ADHD.

"Dear nephews, I must depart," Peter said as he threw his arms over their shoulders.

"Who did you find to seduce tonight?" Derek asked.

"You've already met him. Spencer, are you sure about the latte? Selene said of the crew here, Stiles was the only one who could make them to our standards."

"Maybe I should. Kitchen?" Spencer asked.

"Yes, you'll have to snag him as he's out on the floor with a nearly empty tray of drinks," Derek said. He pointed at where Stiles was.

Peter watched Spencer head over to him, and Stiles looked happy to be making a drink. Stiles darted a glance over at him before he slipped into the kitchen.

"Are you sure that you wanna with him?" Derek asked.

"Why?"

"He sounds smart. Cora was telling me about what they were talking about. Smart ones sometimes almost catch on."

"He'll be fine. He won't think much of anything but sex once I get him in the bedroom. It will be fine." No one had ever gotten close to figuring out that Peter was a bot of some kind. There were a lot of reasons, and many of them were things that were only done for Peter and the other Hales.

Peter gave it five minutes before he went to the elevator and waited for Stiles. It was the only one that went to the floor that Peter lived on with most of Talia's children. There were four lofts on the floor instead of the eight that most other floors had. It was two floors below this one. Laura lived in the main house with Talia and Greg. She didn't care to get out and about without living with her parents. Her husband loved living with them. He was a writer and worked at home most of the time, and took care of the kids.

Four minutes went by before Stiles left the kitchen area. He had a backpack on his shoulder and was looking around for Peter. As soon as his eyes settled on him, Stiles smiled, and he looked a little relieved.

Peter wondered what was going on in his life that he was doing this.

"Hello, sweetheart," Peter said.

"Hi." Stiles swallowed and looked around, but no one was looking at them.

"Let's go." Peter pressed the button, and he felt the spark along his circuits, and the elevator doors opened up. Spencer and the other humans' fingerprints were read to access this elevator. This one was only for the Hales to use. It got them onto any floor in the place, but they never went anywhere but the main areas.

"Fancy elevator," Stiles said as he settled into the corner of the elevator.

"Have you done this before?" Peter asked. He stayed close to the door since they weren't going far at all.

"Sex? Yes."

"Being paid for it."

"No. No, but I've been tempted before. Just to know what it feels like."

"Is this life and death?" Peter asked.

"What?"

The doors opened to the hallway, and Peter waved for Stiles to leave the elevator first.

"Should we talk about this here?"

"We are the only ones on this floor right now. We can speak freely. Everyone else who lives on this floor is up at the party."

"Ah. So what did you mean about life and death?" Stiles asked.

"If you don't get money for this tonight, will you or someone you love die? Get really sick?"

"Why?" Stiles asked.

"Because if that is so, I will give you the money no matter what. Pressure like that is not something I want in a sexual partner."

"I could not do this and be fine. I was open to this, but then I met you. You are hot. I would love to take a ride on you."

"And my cock?" Peter asked.

"Well, I've not seen it." Stiles dropped his eyes down Peter's body, lingering on his groin before smiling at Peter. "Shouldn't you feel a little bad about sexing up someone who is about a decade younger than you?"

"Shouldn't you feel bad about getting paid for sex by an older male?" Peter asked.

Stiles laughed, and the stress lines on his face disappeared with that. He looked a lot better like that. "So which one is yours?" Stiles asked.

"This one." Peter waved toward the one that was all the way at the end on the left. Spencer was in the one across from him. Spencer would be late to bed as Derek would be staying at the party longer than the rest of the Hales. Spencer liked being around everyone, so it would be a long time to get him away from there. Hopefully, Spencer didn't want to check in on anyone. Peter was thankful that his loft was pretty much soundproof.

Peter let Stiles look around the place. He knew that a lot of times, people who were doing this kind of thing for the first time were skittish kittens. Peter slipped into the kitchen under the guise of getting drinks and emptied the liquid reservoir he had in his frame. It would be a stomach in a human, but for Peter and the rest of the Hales who were bots, it was just a large empty cavern that the food and drink they consumed to act human went to. Peter only ate and drank around other people. He hadn't eaten anything at the party since he rarely ever did in situations like that. It also made it easy for him to empty himself. He did have piping that allowed it to be emptied out of his cock, but he hated to do that unless he had to.

Stiles was still in the living room, so Peter made them both a cup of tea. He wanted Stiles calm and collected before they moved on or didn't. Sometimes just getting into the place was more than enough for some to run away. Peter really didn't care why the person he was fucking wanted money. The money part just made it easier. He didn't have to worry about them coming back around. There were no one-night stands who were fully attracted to each other. In fact, Peter kind of preferred that. He really wanted to just go to bed, fuck, and then never see the person again. A few times, he didn't, and those he usually entered into a financial relationship with.

"Here you go," Peter said as he handed over a cup to Stiles.

Stiles turned from where he looked at Peter's books on robotics. Only three of which were his. "Thanks. I could lose myself for hours in these books. I've read a few of them, but others are not in my price range with the books I have to buy for school, and the libraries don't let them be taken out of the building."

"I'm a well-read man. These are the ones I have read and liked enough to read again. Others are just given away. We have a person who manages that at work."

"Cool. So..." Stiles' eyes went toward where the bedroom was.

Peter had thought that he looked into the bedroom first. It was the area where they would spend most of their time besides breakfast the next morning. Peter would make it for Stiles and lie and tell him that he ate while cooking. It was an easy enough lie that Peter felt Stiles would buy it hook, line, and sinker. Everyone else had bought it.

"So," Peter said as he settled down on the couch. He spread his legs and relaxed, while Stiles sipped at his tea and tried to look anywhere but at Peter. Peter would let Stiles come to him. Stiles obviously found him attractive. Peter took another sip of his tea before setting the cup on the stand beside the couch. Stiles was looking at him over the rim of his mug.

"How are we going to do this?" Stiles asked.

"Well, that's up to you. We can make out in here for a little while or go right for the whole shebang in the bedroom. I would like you to stay the night, but you don't have to."

"What did you pay for?" Stiles asked. His tone was a little sour, but it wasn't directed at PEter.

"I paid what I always do whether it's one fuck in the bed or a whole night of waking you up and taking you when we are feeling up to it. I did not buy anything that you aren't willing to give, Stiles. I am not that kind of man. You can still say no and leave with the money."

"And what is going to stop me from doing that?" Stiles asked. His eyes were brighter like he was enjoying their little tête-à-tête.

"Well, nothing really. However, I would hope that sex of any kind would be a draw. I know that you are a student, but Selene didn't tell me where. Students are stressed, and if you are willing to do this, you don't have a significant other. That means that part of this is wanting sex. So that's still on the table. You must have found me attractive; you flirted with me right off the bat. I watched you with the others, and you did a cursory flirt with most of the unattached men in the room. Yet, with me, it was different."

"You are very attractive, and smug and I've found that I like that in someone. Dating sucks when all of your time is spent in class or working. My scholarship was changed after I had accepted and moved to the area for school. I would have chosen a different school. It only paid for a dorm room and only for the first year. By the time that I figured that out, I hadn't been put on the reserve for a room for myself for the second year."

"That sounds a little criminal."

"Yes, well, I chose not to fight it as I didn't have the money and I needed a place to sleep. My Dad and best friend's mom worked together to get us enough for first and last on a place, and we've been there since. Life's unfair, and I know that more than most." Stiles seemed to have decided as he drank a good bit of the tea and then set the mug down on the stand beside the chair he was standing beside. He walked over to where Peter was. "So what's on the table?"

"Pretty much anything, beautiful boy," Peter said.

Stiles blushed at that, and he looked even more enthralling to Peter. He moved closer again to stand between Peter's legs. "Well, I'm not into pain, more than hair-pulling and maybe a few smacks to my ass. The only body fluids that you are allowed to put on me are your spunk and spit."

"Agreed."

"I don't like being demeaned during sex. I mean, you can call me most names, just nothing...degrading."

"I would never, but I'm glad you are upfront. Do you suck cock?" Peter asked.

"Yes, and condoms. I am not getting something from you."

"I have more than enough and good flavored condoms for oral. You won't catch anything from me." Peter was glad that it was Stiles bringing up that. Peter was going to, but he liked that Stiles was proactive on things. It meant that they were a good match for each other. Peter would gladly do things that his partner wanted, but the smell of dislike was too overpowering to Peter. He snagged his tea and took another sip before he leaned up to put his hands on Stiles' hips. "Kissing?"

"I like it."

"Good, so do I, sweetheart." Peter pulled Stiles down and into his lap. He cupped the side of Stiles' face, letting his pinky drop down to where Stiles' pulse was. Stiles shivered. This boy was touch starved. Peter could tell that he was barely stopping himself from pushing forward into Peter's hands and glomping into him. Peter would gladly let him if he really wanted to, but he would hold off for as long as possible. It was impossible for Peter to feel touch starved, not even just the programming in him but the fact that his family actually touched him. Talia always settled a hand on his shoulder and read over it when she was in his office. Cora liked hugs even more than Spencer did. Spencer also liked to cuddle with Derek or Peter when they were together as a family. With most of the family away, Peter figured that Stiles was lonely and longing for family. It didn't seem like the best friend was all that good of a friend.

Peter drew Stiles into a kiss, feeling his pulse race when he did it. It wasn't but a few minutes until Stiles was touching how he wanted. Hesitant hands turned into sure hands. Stiles learned how Peter liked to kiss, and he gave into it fully, only taking charge a few times when he wanted something more than Peter was giving. It was good, and Peter enjoyed himself more than he had in a while with someone.

"On your knees, sweetheart," Peter said when Stiles finally broke the kiss for more than it took to take in a breath of air.

Stiles slipped down to the floor, looking up at Peter with wet and swollen lips. They were going to get even more swollen with what Peter wanted.

"Condoms are in the little drawer of the coffee table," Peter said.

Stiles turned to open it, and he sorted through the flavored condoms. The condoms were Hale manufactured. Peter had been the one to push that. Many didn't want the mess, and condoms that didn't taste like an ass for oral were something that even he liked. The condoms for anal and vagina sex were unflavored but one of the best on the market. It had been just over two decades since they had become the best selling condoms out there. Peter had been smug when that happened. They sold condoms and ended up making better bots because of it.

Peter eyed the color of the condom wrapper as Stiles ripped into it. Green for apple. It was an odd choice. Peter only had it because it came in the variety pack. He smiled as Stiles laid the open wrapper down and then started to work on Peter's pants. Peter was pretty sure that Stiles wasn't a virgin, but he hadn't expected this level of competence from him. Peter was fully hard when Stiles got his pants open and his cock out. With the nuzzling and even the licking when Peter's pants were open.

"You like oral?" Peter asked.

"Dude, it's about the only sex act I get up to right now. I end up going out and finding someone when I really need it. Oral in a back alley or a bathroom stall is better than the full shebang."

"Never back to your place?" Peter asked.

Stiles shook his head and grabbed the condom before rolling it down Peter's cock. He squeezed as he did so, and Peter inhaled sharply to hopefully stop the orgasm he was on the edge of. He was programmed better than that. Stiles followed the condom down and took Peter to nearly his root. It had been a while since Peter had been with someone who actually liked oral sex as more than just a prelude to other sex.

Peter dropped his head back on the couch and groaned as he buried his fingers into Stiles' hair. He gripped hard but allowed Stiles to do his thing. If Peter watched his lips moving up and down his cock, he was going to blow, and he wanted to enjoy this for a few minutes before that. Peter didn't have a limit to the number of times he could come. He wasn't human, so it didn't matter. Of course, there was the whole thing where Stiles would know that he wasn't human, but that's why Peter just kept his orgasm back. Peter had perfected how to do this years ago, using the man who had installed the normal programming in him at fifteen. Peter's body had been a full-grown adult at the time, and the man who had been the sole provider of care for his frame had been a good-looking man who was lonely after his wife left him because of work. Peter and he had been in a relationship of sorts for five years before the guy retired and moved away. Peter didn't miss him, not like one would someone they loved.

By the time Peter came, Stiles smelled like he was aroused as hell. Peter loved the sensors that told him what emotions smelled like in humans. He had to figure out what each one was in each person, but the base was always the same.

"Bedroom"? Peter asked.

"Not gonna fuck me out here?" Stiles asked.

"I like big beds and laying out people and wrecking them. Hard to do out here."

"Sounds good." Stiles got up, leaving Peter to deal with the condom on his own. He grabbed his tea and took a drink of it before heading toward the bedroom. He was still fully dressed, but his work pants showed the bulge of how aroused he was.

Peter grinned and stood up to follow. He stripped his pants off and just walked into the bedroom. Stiles was standing still at the foot of the bed and grinned at Peter before working the buttons of his shirt open. Peter walked up to him and slapped his hands away. He took another kiss, untucking Stiles' shirt as he did so. The material was nice and soft but sturdy.

Gripping the bottom edges, Peter ripped it upwards.

"Hey!" Stiles yelled as he pulled out of the kiss.

"Selene already knows I'm going to wreck this."

Stiles huffed, but his eyes showed that he wasn't upset about it. As long as he didn't have to pay for it, Peter figured. He had never been one who had to worry about money. It had been easy to go out and buy whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, but he had seen what financial hardships did to employees. As CFO, Peter made sure that everyone who worked for them made a living wage. It really didn't cut into the company's profits as much as they kept people on for longer. The turnover rate wasn't that high outside of moving from position to position when people retired, and someone moved up to fill that spot. HaleCorp was a family, even if it was made up of many random smaller families.

"You are hiding a good bit under here, aren't you?" Peter asked as he looked down at Stiles' chest now that he could. There was muscle there not a lot but enough definition that Peter knew that Stiles took care of himself.

"When I'm stuck on schoolwork or just need to wear my body out to sleep, I use the gym that I have access to in my building. It's open twenty-two hours of the day."

"Hmm, I would love to see you after that, sweaty and hot, bend you over as soon as you come in and fuck you."

"Fucking hell, you really are a silver-tongued viper, aren't you?"

"And where did you hear that?" Peter asked.

"One of the people at the party called you that."

"Good. Not randomly on the street. That's always a good thing." Peter snagged the belt on Stiles' pants and worked it off before stripping him the rest of the way. Peter wasn't sure what he liked better, Stiles in the nice clothes or this. His cock was slightly larger than his pants showed, or the pants were too tight to allow him to get fully hard. That wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

Stiles was thick and just a little over average in length. It was enough that Peter actually wouldn't mind having him fuck him at some point that night, but first, he wanted him to beg.

"I wanna see you too," Stiles said.

"You will, dear boy. You will." Peter pushed Stiles onto the bed and crawled up, making sure that Stile was settled where Peter wanted him.

"Anything off-limits?" Stiles asked.

"What?" Peter looked at Stiles' face, where he looked at his cock.

"Do and don'ts? Places you don't like touched."

"My neck," Peter said. "You can kiss it and lick but no touching it with your hands." Peter didn't like his spot where he could be shut down and messed with. All of the Hales had a spot. Even if it wasn't a normal spot to turn them off, it was just in case. When Peter was young, they had learned that they needed a fast and easy way to shut him down if something happened, like a horse falling on him and him freaking out. A few in the family knew the tapping code that would turn it off, but only the finger's touch would actually make it work.

"Anything else?"

"Nope," Peter said. He never had nopes installed on him. He found he likes some things, but he was more often than not ready to try anything.

"Good." Stiles pulled Peter down by the back of his head; his fingers stayed away from the back of Peter's neck.

For a while, they made out, letting Peter fully come down from his orgasm. Stiles had been raring to go, but he wasn't saying anything to push Peter faster than he wanted. Peter worked his own shirt off slowly before sitting up to work on his pants. Stiles' cock was leaking. He really did like kissing and oral. Peter would have to see about that sometime.

The thought brought Peter to a pause, but it wasn't long enough for Stiles to realize. Peter made it like his zipper and caught and jerked a little hard to break it. He got his pants off and tried not to worry that he was already too attached to this young man.

"Lube?" Stiles asked.

"In the drawer, condoms too," Peter said.

Stiles turned to get them, and Peter was greeted with the site of Stiles' ass. He had seen it in the pants but hadn't marveled at it naked yet. He reached out and turned Stiles all the way over, pulling him down the bed once he had condoms and lube in hand. He spread Stiles' cheeks and grinned as Stiles shuddered.

"I don't have any dams with me at the moment. Am I okay to lick?" Peter asked. He wasn't going to catch anything, and he could easily sanitize his mouth before kissing again.

"Go for it," Stile said. He got his knees under him so that his ass was on display.

Peter didn't even attempt to play. He went right for it. Stiles made such good noises as he was eaten out before Peter snagged the lube to work him open the rest of the way. Despite it being a while, as Stiles had said, his body relaxed and loosened up easily.

After Peter was done, he got up and went to the bathroom to wash out his mouth. As much as fucking Stiles on his hands and knees appealed to him, he wanted to see his face.

Stiles was exactly as Peter had left him in the bedroom when he came back in, breath smelling like mint. He hadn't touched his cock, even though the urge had to be there.

"Turn over, sweet boy," Peter said.

Stiles did, his legs falling open so that Peter could get between them. Peter realized that Stiles really liked sex, and he wasn't ashamed of it. It had been so long since Peter had met someone who was like that and wasn't a professional of some kind or another jackbot. Peter could get off with a jackbot, but it wasn't something he liked to do. The only bot that Peter had as part of his household was the cleaning bot that moved between the four Hale apartments on this floor cleaning each day. He preferred to cook his own things when he was feeding people, and sex was with people, not bots, unless he hadn't actually needed it.

Peter put on a condom and tried to hold back the moan at the sight of Stiles under him. It didn't help that Stiles smirked when Peter bit back the moan. Peter wrapped Stiles' legs around his waist and leaned down. He coaxed Stiles' body where he wanted it and pushed inside of him. Stiles' eyes fluttered, and he shut them before his mouth dropped open.

Right then, Peter knew that he wasn't going to let Stiles go. He wasn't going to let Stiles leave him behind unless Stiles didn't want him.

Peter had entered this wanting hard and fast and getting off, but he dropped down and kissed Stiles.

It didn't take Peter long to get Stiles off and then get off right behind.

Stiles' eyes were tired, so when Peter moved away from him, he went to the bathroom and snagged up the needed items to clean him. He disposed of the condom, washed up, and then cleaned up Stiles.

"Sleep, dear boy, I'll make sure to wake you when I want more," Peter said.

Stiles made a huffing noise, but he rolled over, snagging the pillow that Peter used when he laid down in bed to read.

Stiles's cell phone was easy to locate. The house network told him how weak the signal from the phone was when it pinged that it was on the network. Peter normally wouldn't invade privacy, but he wanted to know just what was going on with Stiles without making Stiles talk about it.

The phone was easy to get into. Stiles had it set up for a fingerprint, so Peter just pressed his finger to it before leaving the room. He found the person that Stiles texted the most and read over the texts. It seemed that Stiles' most texted person was also his roommate leaving him. Peter found the texts with his father, but no one had names. Everyone was under random and weird names. His father was The ESheriff, which given how Stiles acted, Peter could see him calling his father that.

Peter wrote down what he could find that might help him without going to Selene. He was sure that Stiles was a nickname, but he wasn't sure where the nickname was being used.

The sound of Stiles' stomach waking him up had Peter putting his phone back where it had been and zipping it up. He had more than enough food to throw something together to feed Stiles. At least one person from Peter's staff stopped by during the week with papers or something, and Peter always fed them at least snacks. If not, he invited over the family's humans and fed them.

"Peter?" Stiles called out. He came out of the bedroom wearing nothing but one of Peter's shirts. It wasn't the one that Peter had been wearing that night but another dress shirt with few buttons done up to show a little modesty but not nearly enough that he was still indecent. Peter loved it.

"Hungry?" Peter asked.

"Yes," Stiles said.

"Good. I have wine out and a snack board. Come and eat, then we can see what else I can do with your body."

* * *

Stiles let himself into the apartment, not shocked that Scott wasn't there. Scott had nothing left in the apartment, so there was no need for him to come back, even to see Stiles and talk to him. Stiles was still bitter that the messages had gone unresponded to. Scott hadn't been a close friend in a long time.

For once, Stiles felt rested even though he hadn't slept that much. Peter had worn him out enough during each round that Stiles slept like the dead. He laughed when he looked at himself in the mirror. Peter let him wash up in the shower and even had a few bits of clothes he could wear home since Stiles' pants and shirt were destroyed. The pants had been destroyed when Stiles had tried to leave in the middle of the night. Peter made it perfectly aware that he wouldn't be happy with him leaving until he was done with him. Stiles had still slipped out without Peter knowing.

Booting up his laptop once he was done, making sure that he had nothing too horrible as far as love bites went. Peter loved to mark him up, but all of them were where clothing would hide them.

Stiles looked into his bank account and nearly dropped the laptop. He clicked to double-check that everything was correct before he called Selene.

"Stiles, it's too early," Selene said even though she sounded perfectly awake.

"You transferred too much," Stiles said.

"I did not. I transferred what you got for working last night as well as what Peter said to pay you for the evening together."

"It's my rent payment," Stiles said.

"Yes, that's what I was told to pay you. I remembered you griping about how much it went up last year. You are almost done with the lease, correct?"

"Yes." Stiles had thought a few times over the night when Peter wasn't keeping him awake with sex about moving into a one-bedroom in a different building if he could find one with smaller payments. He might even do a one-room one. There were a few close to the college that Stiles had heard about. He had just enough time to see if there were any open.

"Why is your lease weird again? I don't remember off hand." Selene asked.

"A new company took over at this time last year, so we had to sign new leases with them. Yeah, it makes things weird as hell, but next year, we were allowed to break the lease agreement early if we moved elsewhere for grad-school without paying. Mainly so that they could get students in for the start of the next year."

"Well, do with the money what you will, but I hope that you use it on your rent. Spend your weekend doing homework, Stiles. You need to focus on that so that you can have time to do whatever else you might need over the week."

"I..." Stiles stopped because he did have things that he could do. He could find a new place over the next week, and he would have more than enough time to actually look at places. He could do that. He could research places that he thought he could afford and go from there. "You know I will. I'll let you know what I will need to make first and last month, and you can help me find jobs to make sure that I can make it."

"Or another person to entertain for a night. You are the type that makes many want someone like you."

Stiles didn't really want to do that. He was happy with getting Peter, even without the money, but he had decided that it was not something that he wanted to do long term in bed with Peter. Maybe if Peter was an option for every single time, but that wasn't possible. Peter had said he never went with people a second time.

Grabbing something to eat, Stiles settled in on the couch and started to multitask as he worked on his schoolwork and finding a new place to live. He was happy that his brain let him hop around when things started to lag. Stiles was just debating what he wanted to do for lunch when his phone rang. He laughed when he saw it was his father.

"Hey, Daddio," Stiles said.

"Son, do you have something to tell me?" Noah asked.

"Um, I'm pregnant?" Stiles asked.

"Mieczyslaw," Noah said.

"Dad, I have no clue what you are talking about?"

"Melissa just told me that Scott moved in with Allison and Isaac," Noah said.

"Ah, yeah. That's big news, huh? I'm so excited for him."

"Son, how are you doing?"

"I'm good. I've got rent money to do me until I find a new place. The lease is nearly up, and I'll find a smaller place that I can do on my own budget."

"If you need money, just tell me. I can figure something out. Melissa is pissed at him about something to do with it, but she's too upset to tell me."

"It's fine, Dad. I'm sure she's just pissed that he forgot to tell her," Stiles said. He was still pissed that Scott didn't tell him either. He wasn't telling his father that, though. He had enough stress with his job and Stiles being across the country. There was also the fact that Stiles hadn't been as close to him since arriving in New York City. His father had not been happy about Stiles going across the country. He didn't understand why Stiles couldn't just get a college degree in California.

Noah Stilinski had not liked that his son had gone so far from home, and he had made his thoughts on that known. Stiles had left home with a part of his relationship with his father broken, and it hadn't been repaired yet. Stiles had gone home a few times, but it was never the same as it had been before he left for New York. He wasn't going to tell his father that he was right because he wasn't. Stiles had hardship, yes, but he was learning more than he would anywhere else in the world on the subject he was learning. There was a reason this school had been ranked highest even over MIT in the last decade. Stiles had got a spot that few ever got. He would be going into HaleCorp with a job as soon as he got his degree. He was looking forward to that.

There was a lot of talk of how the Hales were moving back to Beacon Hills. For a long time, the Hales had been in Beacon Hills before the current CEO's parents moved its main base to New York City before Stiles had been born. There was still a single manufacturing plant in Beacon Hills, and it supported the town and its fifty thousand people well. It was one reason why Stiles wanted to work there and not at ArgentCorp like Scott was trying to get him to do.

"I don't know. She was screaming pretty loudly."

"Well, then maybe he got Allison pregnant," Stiles said.

"Don't joke about that."

"Dad, I don't know what is going on. I'm neck-deep in a paper that's due in three weeks that I want to make sure to get done as it's a good chunk of my grade for this class. So I try not to get into Scott's drama all that much."

"Stiles, you used to live for being in Scott's messes," Noah said.

"Yeah, well, I grew up, dad, and I learned when to let go," Stiles said. Stiles had grown up and realized that Scott would never care as much about Stiles as Stiles did him. When Stiles had been younger, he hadn't minded that, but as he got older, he found that he needed someone in his life that cared about him.

"When are you coming home for Thanksgiving?" Noah asked.

"I have no clue. I need to make sure that I have time with classes and everything."

His father's sigh made Stiles feel bad, but he pushed that away. If Stiles said that it was a money issue, his father would tell him that it was his own fault and he needed to come home for a visit no matter what. If Stiles made it all about school, then Noah might not force him home for a meal where Stiles would feel like the second son. Stiles already felt like the second son; even though Scott had come out here with him, Scott was still more favored.

"Well, let me know."

"Sure, sure. As soon as I know anything, I will let you know."

"I've got to head into work," Noah said.

"Have a good day," Stiles said by rote, giving his goodbyes and being happy when he was off the phone with his father.

* * *

Stiles didn't like being late for anything. He had learned how to make sure he wasn't late for things after his mother died and his ADHD was out of control. The only time he didn't freak out about being late was when his father was the reason he was late, as usually, that meant it was something official. He usually enjoyed that kind of thing since it was always something fun. When Stiles got to New York City, he spent the two weeks from when they arrived to when classes started learning the city around where he was, and then he spent weeks after they moved into the apartment knowing how long it would take him at roughly any given hour for his classes.

Even now, in his final year of undergraduate studies, he still arrived at classes at least twenty minutes early. This year, his most advanced robotics class had a professor that Stiles loved and who loved him as well. He was allowed in her class at any time, even between other classes or sitting in when it was a class he had already taken.

Most other students, though, were never as early as he was. Especially not for the three-hour class that started at seven in the morning on a Monday. Stiles had a coffee in his hand from the shop close to the school and another in his tumbler that kept it all cold until he needed it later.

Stiles could hear voices, so he was shocked about that and especially since one was male. The only professor that ever came to visit Professor Milan was Professor Bath, and she was a she, not a he. Stiles chugged his coffee down before he threw the cup away. He never took paper cups into the lecture hall since he was so clumsy when distracted, and he was always distracted in this class. It was his favorite.

"Oh, Miranda, you are such a flirt," the guy said.

Stiles stopped because he knew that voice. He looked up from where he was looking at the notes from the last class and the ethics of AI in robots used for sex. Milan had said that she would try and get a guest speaker into the class. It seemed like she had been able to.

"Ah, Stiles, I was just telling Peter about you."

Peter turned around to look at Stiles. "This is your best student?"

"Yes, Peter Hale, this is Stiles Stilinski. His actual first name is a mess, and I've not tried to actually say it since I fucked it up the first time on the first day of his freshman year. Stiles, this is Peter."

Stiles' mind blanked at the name. Peter Hale was like the God of ethics and robotics. He was the CFO of HaleCorp, but he had written books about AI and the like. He taught himself nearly everything he knew about AI after going to college. Stiles had never looked him up to see his picture. He hadn't thought much of it as he didn't need to know what the guy looked like. He read his books on a Kindle, so he never got to the part where the author's image was. Now he really felt fucking stupid for the past weekend.

"Stiles, it's a pleasure to meet you," Peter said as he walked over and held out his hand to Stiles.

Stiles shook Peter's hand and tried not to blush when Peter then lifted it up, kissing the back of it.

"Peter, don't," Milan said, but she laughed as she said it.

"This enchanting creature has already succumbed to my wiles, but I am more than pleased to find him again. Keep him after class."

"I don't have anything until noon," Stiles said, unsure of why he said it even as he was saying it.

Peter grinned and nodded his head.

"Stiles?" Milan asked.

"It's fine, Professor. I'm actually glad to finally know his full name. He never did give it to me."

"No, he doesn't. He uses the distraction to hide it. He likes someone sleeping with him for his seduction technique rather than his name. He's at least good that way. Peter, Stiles will be the one keeping you on your toes throughout the lecture, so I hope that getting asked questions you have to think to answer turns you on," Milan said.

Stiles laughed a little bit at the look on Peter's face.

"Wait, your favorite and the best student is also the one who you spent an entire evening getting drunk on when he posed a question you couldn't answer and had to spend four weekdays to be able to form an answer? This is him?" Peter asked.

"Yes, this is him."

Peter was looking at Stiles with a strange look. Stiles wasn't sure that he wanted to know what that meant. He shook his head and cleared it before taking his seat. He spread out the notes about the questions that he wanted to ask the professor, but now he would ask Peter them.

The rest of the students stumbled into the room, a few stopping when they saw Peter up there with the professor, and a few who usually sat in the back or middle of the class were vying for seats in the front as close to Stiles as possible.

"Okay, now before the lecture starts, if you are upfront to flaunt your legs, breasts, dick, or any body part that is not your brain because I am handsome, you can go ahead and move to the normal seat that you take. I do not sleep with students that I meet at lectures."

Stiles kept his laugh to himself when the girl beside him huffed and shot up to go to the back of the class, where she usually ended up doing anything that wasn't actually listening to the lecture. Stiles was pretty sure that she was only doing enough to pass the class because she didn't like the professor.

The class took a few minutes to settle in again, and Peter's eyes never stopped moving over the students. Stiles got the minutes to watch him. He was dressed in a suit meant to show off his wealth but not shove it into their faces. Stiles kind of really liked him in that suit compared to what he was wearing at the party, which Stiles now knew that everyone that he had met was Hales. All of them were Hales. He was glad that he didn't know that going into it. He never would have acted anywhere like he did. He might have with Peter as the name was like the sun and pulled everyone into his orbit.

"Mister Stilinski, I've been told that you are the reason why I am here."

"Yes, Sir, I am. I posed a question."

There was a smattering of comments and a few laughs. None of them were good remarks. Peter's eyes narrowed, and everyone shut up.

"The last time that Professor Milan had me come into her classes to talk to students when it wasn't part of the postgraduate classes that she teaches, I offered them a job as soon as they finished their degree, so Mister Stilinski, wow me and that might happen for you as well."

Stiles could feel the hatred from the rest of the class, but that was something that he was just used to. He regularly pissed off the class. He was why the teacher grading on a curve failed because he always got high as fuck grades on everything in every class. Stiles had dealt with his fair share of pissed off students acting like dicks toward him. That was the main reason why he didn't work a normal job. The catering business had a less likely chance of ever seeing any of the kids he went to school with.

The class went by in a flurry of questions and talking, Milan taking notes, and Stiles was sure that there would be a few of the things that Peter brought up on the test. Which worked well for Stiles. Peter was a great speaker. He kept Stiles entertained, which was a hard feat when someone wasn't a professor. Stiles' ADHD was something that messed up even classes that he loved. It was the full Q&A section of the class where Peter could be asked anything.

"So, Mister Hale, do you have your own jackbot?" one of the more proud frat boys said from the back of the class. Stiles was still pretty sure he was only still in classes like this because of money. His parents paid off the school so he could remain.

"I do not. As a whole, I don't like them all that much. I have sampled the wares many times, though, a perk of being the CFO of the biggest corporation in the world. I think that being around them day in and day out makes me less likely to have one. I do have a bot that works as my secretary, though. She's lovely and less likely to allow idiots into my office. I worked with a human one for many years, and it just never worked out."

Stiles nearly missed, but just as Peter's eyes looked down to look at him, there was a jump. It normally would be nothing but to Stiles, it was everything. He swallowed as he remembered reading about the small quirk in the eyes of the newest human forward bots from HaleCorp. The eye movements were sometimes twitchy when the head faced one certain direction. It was only in full robots, which meant Peter Hale was a HaleBot. Stiles kept his thoughts to himself, though. That kind of shit would fucking ruin the Hales.

There were whispers on the darknet about HaleBots having a fully sentient AI. He had dismissed it as conspiracy theorists, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. He had to wonder if all of the Hales were bots.

Professor Milan dismissed the students, and away they went; some stayed back, and when Peter wouldn't even look at them, they finally left.

"Well, I have a class to get to in the labs. Do not have sex in here." Milan was looking at Peter as she said that.

"I would never disrespect you like that. Any other professor, yes but not you."

Stiles' mind was still reeling when it was just the two of them.

"Have you had breakfast?"

"I ate before coming in, but I am always up for a snack after class," Stiles said.

"Good. Good. Did you drive?"

"No, I walked."

"You are that close to where the party was?" Peter asked.

"Yes. I walked there as well.

"Hmm, intriguing. Well, I have my car with me. I would like to discuss more than just your little tryst over the weekend."

Stiles nodded his head. He tries not to focus too much on how everything was so strange, and he was literally walking and talking with a HaleBot. He wasn't sure of the bot's base model since there were many of them. The skin was fully customized, and now that Stiles had seen him, he could see a resemblance to Talia Hale. There were smaller bits of Peter in the other kids as well. It was so fucking strange to Stiles. He was trying to figure out what the fuck was going on as he followed Peter out of the building and to a car that looked like it cost more than Stiles' education.

"Have any dislikes?" Peter asked.

"Uh, no. No dislikes," Stiles answered.

"Good."

Fifteen minutes later, Peter pulled into a parking lot with a valet out there to park the car even before eleven in the morning. Stiles left his backpack in the car, but he was not sure that he was dressed to get into the place. He tugged at his plaid shirt and looked at Peter out of the corner of his eye as they walked to the front door. Peter held the door open for Stiles, and he walked inside. He felt like he would get yelled at for even thinking that he could come into the place.

"Two for Hale," Peter said as he laid his hand on Stiles' lower back. It was warm, just like it had been before. Some bots had upped body temperatures, but not all of them did, just like some people did.

They were escorted to a table, and Stiles sat down first with Peter pulling out the chair for him. Once Stiles was seated, he saw that there was glass all around them, and it was like a private room of some kind. It was rich and fancy, and something Stiles had never seen before.

"This feels like a date," Stiles said before he could process how that might have sounded.

Peter just smiled at Stiles as a waiter came over.

"Mimosas?" the waiter asked.

Stiles looked to see that he wore no nametag. It was a fancy assed place; it seemed where no one was allowed to know each other's names.

"Just water for me. Stiles?"

"Um, tea? Hot and black."

"We have several kinds of black tea."

"Earl Grey?" Stiles asked.

"Of course," the waiter said. He disappeared quickly.

"So Stiles, I spent Sunday trying to find you. The name Stiles is not listed anywhere but a short article about you in your high school newspaper when you graduated. It did not list your full name, though."

"No, most things have my full first name in them."

"I wanted to discuss with your an arrangement."

"Arrangement?" Stiles asked.

"I don't do relationships. I don't have time for them all that much or care to change who I am for someone. I'm all but married to my work. My sister has tried to get me to settle down, but I haven't met anyone I could even think of spending a week with, much less the rest of my life. So I tend to do as we did this past weekend. However, on occasion, I find someone that I think might benefit from something a little more long term. I will admit that I read over your messages to your former roommate on your phone."

"So you want to pay for sex?" Stiles asked. He wasn't going to say no if it came attached to Peter.

"Something like that, yes. However, with the way that I work, I would want you with me."

"With you?" Stiles asked.

"Living with me. Between your classes, which would be as important as my work, travel time and seeing the phone message and the like would be illogical. Unless you have some kind of attachment to your place at the moment."

"No, actually, I was getting ready to leave there. I don't need a two-bedroom place with Scott gone. I don't really want to pay the rent for that place either. My lease is nearly up."

"Good. Of course, you would move into my loft, but you would have your own room that I would not go into if the door was shut. Your door shut means you are working on school work. I am not paying for constant access to your body, Stiles. I'm paying for light companionship and sex when we both want it. This would not be a case of you saying no, and I throw you out. We would discuss a contract to the fullest before signing it."

Stiles just looked at Peter. He wasn't sure that he heard what he had heard. He had, he knew that; he just couldn't believe it.

"And what would I get out of it? Besides a place to live?" Stiles asked.

"Paid. Probably not nearly as much as you do catering since Selene charges what her team is worth instead of low balling shit, but you wouldn't have to pay rent or food. I would also pay for your schooling."

"I have grad school paid for, and undergraduate is as well."

"Then how come you don't have enough money to pay rent?" Peter asked.

"I got fucked with the scholarship from your company. My room and board were supposed to be paid for through my doctorate's end, but it was pulled after the first year. I had to scramble to find a place to live as I wasn't registered for the dorm since it wasn't paid for."

Peter looked fucking pissed, which worried Stiles just a little bit. He pulled out his cell phone and laid it on the table. He waved toward the waiter before he made a motion. Three seconds later, the glass turned opaque as the door shut. Even Stiles could hear the hum of electricity.

"Peter, I thought you were on a little date?" Talia asked.

"I am still on that little date as you love to call them. I'm here with Stiles, and he brought up something interesting. I thought that the lovely people who got the Future of Robotics Scholarships were given free rides, and everything paid for. I mean, that's what I knew from the last time I checked on that, a year ago."

"They are."

"I have Stiles here telling me that his room and boarding were not being paid the last three years. He got the first-year dorm but nothing after that."

"A Stiles did not win four years ago. We had a pair." The sound of rustling paper came over the phone. "Melinda, so that is not him and a...Holy Mother of God, how do you pronounce that?"

"Mieczysław," Stiles said.

Peter raised an eyebrow at that.

"I see. Well, yes, I would go by Stiles as well with that. Looks like you and I need to figure a few things out. Peter, head into the office when you are done there with Stiles. We can figure this out. If Stiles doesn't take your offer, Peter, make sure that he knows that he will be getting his rent taken care of even if he wants to move to the city's most expensive place. Oh, better yet, we have a smaller apartment on the floor below yours in the building empty. He can move there if he wants, even if he takes your offer. We will even have everything paid for as far as him moving, no matter which direction this goes. I'm sure that we can also work out a card that will pull money from the scholarship fund. I do not like this."

"Neither do I, as the full amount has been going out on time from the scholarship fund for the full amount for students. How far back do you want me to go?"

"Well, let's see if a discrete check tells us who and then back as far as they have had control of that aspect if it's on the school's end, we will sue."

"That works for me," Peter said. He reached out and hovered his hand over the phone. "I'll let you know how this meeting goes."

"I look forward to hearing about it with bated breath," Talia said.

Peter hung up the phone then. He looked at Stiles.

"Your family is weird," Stiles pointed out.

"Well, we made our money selling walking, talking, slick jackbots, Stiles. So this offer is on the table for longer than just this meal. Things have changed. I would hate to have you not take me up, but you have options now that are more than just coming to live with me and let me sex you up."

Stiles nodded his head.

The door opened up, and the waiter came back inside with drinks and what looked like a pizza of some kind. Stiles frowned before he saw that it was actually pretty good looking. He was gone again as soon as he dropped everything off.

"This place is pretty swanky," Stiles said as he reached for his cup of tea. There was no bag to speak of, and the tea looked pretty good. Stiles took a sip of it to find it was brewed pretty well. He liked his a bit stronger, but this was a good middle ground.

"To your liking?" Peter asked.

"This place?"

"The tea."

"Ah, a little weak for me."

"Tell Robert when he comes back in. They will add in another minute or so to the steep time for your next cup."

"Oh, they do it up to taste?"

"Yes. Everything here is what everyone wants it to be. Especially for me," Peter said.

"That's kind of nice. I mean, if someone is a jerk, it's gotta suck to have to do that."

"They don't allow jerks to come back," Peter said.

"Seriously?"

"I dine here almost exclusively because of that. There is no reason to be rude to waitstaff. Now, I go to a lower class place a good bit, but if I am paying high end for something, I am going here unless it's a business meeting or a new place."

Stiles nodded his head. He looked at the pizza and tried to figure out how the hell to eat it. He wasn't the kind to just eat with a fork when it came to pizza, but this place was swanky. Stiles was about to pick up his knife and fork when Peter picked up a piece and tucked into it. Stiles did the same.

"So go home and think about it, but you are not leaving until we finish our meal, and I already texted in our order, so unless you don't like something, the food will come out when it's ready."

"I eat pretty much anything." Stiles had learned a long time before to not be picky. Especially when his father did the shopping until Stiles could go to the store and shop in the Jeep. Stiles had made lists, but it was rare that his father stuck to them.

"That's good."

Peter picked Stiles' brain about a few things while they ate, and Stiles was pretty sure by the end of the meal, Peter thought more of him for his brain than the sex.

* * *

Peter pulled up his files and frowned at the spreadsheet. The numbers all matched up from the reports he got that covered the non-profit side of things for HaleCorp. Peter kept a very weather eye on things over there, so that fraud wasn't an issue. He sometimes felt like he checked their books more than his. Peter had plenty of people below him that kept a good eye on HaleCorp books.

"Mom said you wanted me?" Cora asked as she slipped into Peter's office just after four.

"Yes, we are heading over to the campus, and we are going to be talking to a few people."

"Why me?"

"Because you are small and scary. Also, I want to introduce you to someone. I think that he needs a friend more than he needs a lover."

"Mom said you were intrigued by that Stiles kid."

"Yes, I offered him a position in my household."

Cora snorted at the name, but it was someone that Laura had said once about Peter's first live-in companion. It had kind of stuck. Peter was never malicious, and the family never treated any of them like they were lesser for what they did.

"Let's go then. This okay?" Cora asked. She waved at her suit she was wearing. It was fitted and showed off her body well for someone her age. Peter's programming didn't allow him to ogle her as one would a young woman who looked like that, but he could appreciate her form in a near paternal way.

"Yes, that's just fine. We are going to take the Cobra. Did you want to drive?"

"Yes," Cora said.

Traffic was a nightmare. Peter was used to that. He found Stiles sitting where Stiles talked about him sitting between classes and sometimes after classes when he needed a moment before going home. Peter figured that now it was more than Stiles didn't want to go someplace that had no one there waiting on him.

Peter thought that Scott McCall was an idiot, but he couldn't really say any other way.

"Excuse me," Peter said as he sat down beside Stiles.

Stiles looked up at him, his mouth dropping open, and the Twizzler that had been half hanging out was on its way to the ground below.

"Peter?" Stiles asked. He looked to the side.

"You remember Cora, yes? We all have a meeting. My staff has not been pocketing the money, which means that it's someone in the financial aid department. Things are not looking well. So, Cora is here as our legal representative, she's only in her first year of law school, but I feel like sometimes she's smarter than the ones we employ, though that could be nepotism and thinking my family is the smartest in the world."

"Why do I need to be there?" Stiles asked.

"Your clothes," Cora said.

"What?" Stiles asked.

"It's not the look of them. It really works for you, Stiles, but I can tell that they are older. There is a little bit of thread bareness in the shoulders and other seams. The pants are a little tight in places that they shouldn't be, so that means you have worn them down to where they are not that bad."

"And?"

"You would be able to afford new clothes by working a very minimal part-time job if you had your scholarship the way it was meant to be. We made it that way so that students didn't need to do anything but really focus on schoolwork. Great minds thrive under adversity but having to fight and scrape for your dream isn't for everyone. You've proven yourself capable, and you haven't cracked, but can you say you can work like you have been over the last three years for another three to four years?" Peter asked.

Stiles kept his mouth shut on that. He knew exactly what Peter was talking about. The on-campus therapist that he saw told him he would burn out if he didn't do something to correct his life to where he had less stress. There was also the threat of a heart attack, given his stress level.

"Also, after this, we are heading over to the HaleCorp medical facilities, and you are going to submit to a yearly exam. You are being put on as an intern in the system, so while the care you will get is minimal, it's not nearly as bad as relying on student health. Talia demands it, and I did not bring it up. You'll stay as an intern until you are hired if you pass that process just after getting your final degree."

"And I can't say no?" Stiles asked.

"I mean, you could, but then Talia would come and pout at you. Derek's good at that as well. They might even rope Laura into it. It's best just to do as she wants." Peter had a wicked grin on his face. "Besides, you'll also be getting tested for STD's and anything else that could stop us from forgoing condoms if you wanted to go that route."

"You gave me a week, Peter," Stiles said.

"Yes, I did, but sweetheart, I don't think you are going to turn me down," Peter said.

Stiles cleaned up the books and papers that had scattered around the table. He ducked down to pick up the Twizzler he had dropped and tossed it into the trash as well as the remnants of the meal he had eaten.

The walk took little time, and then Peter showed Cora and Stiles into the office.

"Mister Hale, I wasn't aware that we would have an audience."

"Well, Cora is here to observe in an educational capacity, and Mister Stilinski is here as he's the subject of this meeting."

"Has he offended you in some way? I'm sure that something can be worked out."

"Actually, it's your school that has offended me. Mister Stilinski is a student who was awarded one of the HaleCorp scholarships. He has been told by the financial aid office that his scholarship did not pay for room and board when all of the records on my end at HaleCorp say that we paid that. I have looked through every single file that I have, and no one is pocketing that at our end. So it has to be yours."

Peter enjoyed watching the woman as she looked at him and tried to figure out the best way to tell Peter that he needed to fuck off. Peter knew with the way her eyes darted around and how her pulse picked up that she knew that someone was doing something like that and the college was keeping it quiet while looking into it, or they had found the person and were choosing not to prosecute.

A glance at Stiles showed him looking at Peter. The way he was doing it made Peter feel like he was being seen in a way that no one had ever seen him. He just wasn't sure if that looking at him was from the knowledge that Peter wasn't human or not. Stiles was an intriguing boy, which made him even more intriguing.

"Well, we can look into it."

"You can look into it?" Cora asked.

"Yes," the woman said.

"Not that you are going to look into it?"

"Well, right now, there is only this boy's words."

"I mean, I have all of the records where I have paid for rent out of my pocket. Where I had to scramble to get a place to live my sophomore year when my scholarship fell through on a dorm room. I mean, I have a lot of records on my end, and I never signed a single thing about forgoing that."

Peter kept his smile to himself. Stiles was very much a man after his own heart. Peter worried that Stiles might just be the person that broke down Peter's walls and make him fall in love. Peter wasn't sure that he really wanted that, but if he had to pick someone, Stiles was at least smart enough that he wouldn't bore Peter.

"Well, we might just need those," the dean said.

Peter stood up, looking at Cora before he looked at Stiles. Stiles stood up with a look of disgust on his face. Cora moved to open the door, and Peter escorted Stiles out of the place. Peter didn't think that there was a chance that she would do what he wanted, but he had given her a chance. Peter was almost shocked she didn't come running after them.

"Hungry?" Peter asked.

"I thought I had an appointment."

"You do but after that. Cora can easily drive you to my place to eat."

"You aren't coming?" Cora asked.

"No, I'm going to walk home, and I would start something for dinner. We can discuss things a little bit before Stiles goes home."

"I could just go alone, and you both can do what you gotta do about all of that. You guys are willing to fix everything, but I know that your honor and shit is on the line. Who knows how many others this has happened to. I know that you need to look into it."

"Paper pushers can take it from here on that. We need to discuss what else to do. There are a lot of scholarships that run through this college. If there are issues, it could ruin the college unless they actually do something about it. They are not going to want to have that be known. Which is why they are going to have to do some shit to get things going."

"And I don't need to be there for it."

Peter agreed to that, but he wanted Stiles there for it. He wanted Stiles around him for as long as he could get.

"I agree, but I thought that once the meal was over, you and I could talk a little more about our arrangement. I figure by now you have a few questions." Peter saw the questions on Stiles' face and knew that he had figured out what would pull Stiles in.

Peter figured that he would spend a long time getting Stiles used to taking anything, really. He seemed to be one who would never ask for what he wanted and would have a hard time taking things that he didn't need. He wasn't that worried as he had worn down worse people.

* * *

Peter rolled over and looked at where Stiles was sprawled in bed. Peter had just powered up after shutting himself down to napping mode. His body would move some based on a random autonomous bit of programming. It helped to hide that he was a bot.

Stiles was on his belly, one arm under his pillow while the other and curled into his chest. He looked a few years younger than he normally did. Which told Peter that he was stressed because of everything in his life. It wasn't something that Peter liked. He was the one who had set up the scholarships after seeing several people burn out while he had been in college. Scholarships like the ones that Stiles had been given were only two a year, but Peter made sure that fifty kids so far were put through college through the HaleCorp non-profit. It was something that he felt a lot of pride for.

Someone abusing that pissed him off.

Stiles had been pissed off as well once they had gotten more information from him about exactly who he talked to and what it was about. Cora had left, and then it was just Peter and a Stiles who was so pissed off he looked glorious to Peter. Peter had kissed him, and things had just devolved from there. Well, Peter didn't think that it was bad, but he wasn't sure about Stiles' thinking on it all. The box of condoms was lying on the table beside the bed, and Peter wasn't sure how he felt about using them. He was attached to Stiles, and he knew it. He was looking forward to going skin on skin with him soon. Though Stiles didn't know that he could go skin on skin with him now. Peter couldn't catch or give any of the diseases that came with unprotected sex, so even if Stiles had something, Peter wasn't going to catch it.

Peter debated what he wanted to do now. He really didn't think that he could hide long-term what he was from Stiles, but the thought in the back of his mind was that he didn't want to. Which scared Peter more than anything else in the world.

Stiles moved a little, his face rubbing on the pillow. Peter looked at him, watching as Stiles woke up slowly, his body moving again. He moved a lot, and Peter knew it was due to his ADHD, but his mind was always going. Peter wondered what thoughts he was having now. Stiles cracked open his eyes, groaned, and then closed them again. He didn't have a class until noon today; he had already promised Peter that staying the night wasn't going to cause issues with his classes. Stiles shuffled over until he could hide his face in Peter's side, just below his armpit. He wiggled his arm under the blankets and then over Peter's chest before making a humming noise. He moved again, and Peter found that he was hard. Stiles had admitted that his sex drive was low, but Peter had wondered if that was just from the stress of school and adding in a roommate who didn't seem to care to help at all.

"Well, that's a nice feel first thing in the morning," Peter said.

"Yeah? I know something that will feel better." Stiles slipped down the bed, going fully under the covers, and before Peter could process it all, he was licking up Peter's cock.

Peter reached over for a condom but stopped when he felt Stiles' mouth going down on him. Peter was actually a little soft, but as Stiles bobbed up and down a few times, he got fully hard. Peter had seen him today weaving a story with his mouth and cutting down another student who said something so ridiculous that Peter's processor had nearly blown. Yet, nothing compared to this, the feel of Stiles working his cock so well. Peter reached under the blankets and tried to pull Stiles up and off to give him a condom, but Stiles slapped his hand away.

Stiles didn't try and come out from under the blankets. Peter enjoyed the feel of a phantom mouth on his cock, so he didn't pull them off. He just laid back and enjoyed the feeling. A few seconds later, after Stiles took Peter down his throat for the first time, all of him in Stiles' mouth, he pulled back, and then there were slick fingers at Peter's hole. One slipped inside, making Peter spread his legs slightly and cant his hips to where Stiles could do that better. Peter liked being fucked, but he loved his prostate being played with while a mouth was on his cock even more.

Peter enjoyed sex, but there was something different about this. He looked down, seeing the lump under the blankets bobbing up and down. Grabbing the blankets, he pulled them off of them all the way. Stiles was naked, just like Peter was. He had moles dotted down his back, and Peter wondered what Stiles would do if Peter pinned him to the bed and just kissed every single one of them. He wanted to do that sometime, trace all of them with lips, tongue, and fingers, making Stiles take pleasure that Peter wanted to give him.

"Your fucking mouth," Peter gasped as he was close to orgasm already, and Stiles was barely doing anything. It was like Stiles was made for him, which was crazy as it had to be the other way around. Peter came, thrusting into Stiles' mouth all the way. Stiles had been prepared since he didn't pull off Peter's cock to cough and gasp after hitting his gag reflex. Stiles worked his through his orgasm and then softly slipped off his cock, pressing a kiss into Peter's hip before he wiggled up to lay mostly on top of Peter, his cock nestled beside Peter's soft one. Peter didn't trigger his function to get hard again and just waited to see what Stiles wanted to do.

Peter indulged in a little mole play, though, and traced a few that he could feel on Stiles' back.

"No yelling at me for doing that without a condom?" Stiles asked.

"I've already been tested, and the risk of you giving me something with oral is low enough. I'll have your results soon, though, and we can worry about that after I see what they say." Peter nearly let it slip that it wasn't like Stiles could catch anything from him. It was going to happen, and Peter would have live with it.

"You need to tweak your stuff," Stiles said. He sounded like he was already halfway to sleep again or just not fully awake. His tacky fingers from the lube were dancing on Peter's opposite hip. Smearing and spreading the slick everywhere.

"I guess I can drink more pineapple juice," Peter said.

Stiles snorted before gripping Peter's hip and using it to push himself up before sitting astride Peter's hips. "I'm still trying to figure out the base. You obviously have the jackbot programming in there somewhere, but there is a hell of a lot more than that."

Peter nodded his head in agreement as he did have a weird set of programming at his base. Then all of Stiles' words flashed red in his mind. Peter looked at Stiles to see he looked smug. Too smug for someone who still hadn't got off. Peter moved, rolling them to where Stiles was on the bottom, face in the bed, and his legs spread with Peter between them. "Do you want to see what my programming can do?"

"Yes," Stiles gasped.

Peter found the bottle of lube that had been under Stiles' pillow instead of the nightstand and slicked up his cock. Stiles was still relaxed and loose from the night before, so Peter could slip inside him. Stiles shuddered as his muscles were stretched just a little, but there was no scent of pain from him. "You are going to just press buttons until I push you into things you are not ready for, aren't you?"

"My father always said I didn't know when to quit," Stiles said.

"I can agree with him."

Peter found the perfect angle that kept Stiles aroused but didn't heighten that arousal enough to where he was able to get off, and he wrecked Stiles with it. Stiles was sobbing with relief when Peter finally changed the angle and let him come. He slumped on top of his human and kept him cradled in his arms. Stiles didn't seem like he was even going to move at all, which was just fine.

"How?" Peter asked.

"Yesterday in class, your eyes. There is a hiccup in the newest eye programming. It hasn't been fully fixed yet, and I would assume you don't even think about it."

"And you aren't running and screaming?"

"Why would I? You know from my discussions yesterday, I have no issue with bots, and there are many bots I have met that I would rather have in jobs than some of the humans that I know. I'm not gonna rat you out. I don't know if you were made or developed on your own, and the Hales slotted you into their life decades ago, but you don't have to worry about me talking to some gossip rag. I mean, there are people out there who think all of the Hales that are currently alive are all AI in robotic bodies."

"Of course, you follow that drivel," Peter said.

"I mock them. I mock them a lot, though I guess a few are kind of correct when it comes to you. So, does this mean the deal is off?" Stiles asked.

"No, we can still go forward. I will still have your bloodwork run, but I won't share the faked documents about my own tests with you. I will at least respect you enough not to lie."

"How many people know?"

"Outside of my family? Very few. The staff who handle my care and fluids and repair when issues happen, and that's it. That team is just five, the department heads that I trust the most. And now you, sweetheart."

"Hmm," Stiles said. He wiggled a little and moved a leg, causing even Peter to shift to where he was lying fully on Stiles. "Wake me in an hour. I'll clean up and give you everything you need."

"Need?"

"To move me out of my place. I'll move in here. And if I hate living with you, you can find me an apartment here in the building if the one your sister talked about goes to someone else or a place close enough for your sensibilities."

Peter nodded his head and pressed a kiss to Stiles' shoulder before slowly getting up. The bed was already wrecked from the night before, so Peter just covered up his lover. He looked at the time. Peter had flexible hours, and there were days that he worked from home. His staff liked that as it meant he wasn't there to creep up behind them. Peter snagged his cellphone from the stand and wandered out to the kitchen. He needed to make something for Stiles to eat. He had a small pan that he could use to make a breakfast casserole for him. It would be for two meals, and if Stiles wanted, he could take it with him to school to eat when he got hungry between classes.

The first item of business was the agreement that Stiles would need to sign to ensure they were all covered on the legal front. There was just a clause that was needed to be added to it. He trusted Stiles but not enough to fuck himself over later. Peter dialed the number that was linked to Talia's secure line. All of the cell phones were run secure, all of upper management's were.

"You good?" Peter asked.

"It's just Derek, Cora, and I in here. We are discussing what we want to do about everything with the school."

"He knows."

"He knows what and who is he?" Derek asked.

"We need to get someone on the eye programming, and it needs to be fixed. I'll be the dummy, but Stiles saw it yesterday and knows I'm a bot. The little shit decided that he needed to tell me that my semen production coding needs to be fixed a little as he doesn't like the taste and then wanted to know what my mix of programming was, after finishing sucking my cock."

Talia had the gall to start to laugh. Derek and Cora were snickering.

"So, does that mean we need to add in a clause to the contract that we have drawn up?" Cora asked a minute later.

"Yes, that's exactly what that means. He's taking the option of living with me while also leaving open moving elsewhere if needed. I don't think we won't get along, but who knows. He's underfed, and while I do like to cook, I cook fancy things. I would like help figuring out what he likes."

"I can meet him for lunch on Thursdays," Cora said.

"Good."

"I'll drag Spencer along to a meal out. Spencer has asked if you would keep in contact with this one. Spencer might overtake him as well. They are going to the same college. I'm sure that Spencer will love it," Derek said.

"They both have ADHD, so it will be a nice bonding impetus for them. We shall see. He's sleeping at the moment. He's denied himself a lot of things, so expect that if I am home, we are having sex," Peter said.

"No coming in without knocking, you got it," Cora said.

"I'll meet with you as soon as you get in today. I have movers on tap for him."

"He's going to give me his stuff. Is that one apartment still empty?" Peter asked.

"Yes. We haven't got the new construction company vetted yet."

"Good. Put his extra things in there. I'm sure that he'll tell me what is his and what came with the place."

"Those are rented with only standard appliances. So I would assume the fridge and stove, and that is it. There is a shared laundry room," Derek said.

"Research?" Peter was intrigued by how much his family was already attached to Stiles. The young man would find a nice home in the family even after his and Peter's arrangement ended. The file on him showed that Talia had picked him as part of the scholarship program because of a few ideas he had in high school, one of which was his doctoral thesis. He was a brilliantly smart boy, and Peter looked forward to his thoughts on a few things.

"I had nothing else to do last night. The place isn't horrible, and the new management is doing okay. I've already looked into a few things, and because of a few issues with the new company taking over and their terms and conditions being different, Stiles' lease is nearly up. So it won't be hard to get him out of that. I've already prepared the check to give them for the last bit of his lease, or if they are okay with just breaking it off now without penalty, a nice bonus package."

"I'll worry about Stiles. You guys can worry about everything else." Peter could do that for now. He could focus on Stiles and on work. It had been a while since he had someone to focus on like that. Spencer had stopped allowing it a few years back. Cora and Derek had allowed it longer than him, but Peter was pretty sure it was because he was a bot like them. So now Peter had Stiles, and Stiles needed a lot of work.

* * *

Stiles groaned as he rolled his shoulders. The workspace that he now had for classwork that he didn't have to stay in the school for was awesome. Fucking hell, the workshop that interns had access to as just fucking interns for playwork was better than the lab at the school. Stiles knew the lab at the school was supposed to have an upgrade based on the money from HaleCorp, but Stiles wasn't sure that was going to come given the lawsuit that was being filed against the school about a staff who was misappropriating scholarship funds.

He was okay with that, given that his life had been hell for the last two years. He wanted to relax, and Peter was giving him that. It was the main reason that Stiles had taken this offer. Being Peter's fuck buddy was something that gave him access to things that he never would have had before. Stiles was pretty sure he could have talked Talia into giving him the access, but as Peter's friend, as he was called by most people, he was given respect. No one treated him like shit, which was something he was kind of used to being treated like. He would rather just have gone home, but he had a point to prove to his father, and he was going to prove it.

"Come away," Peter said as he slipped up behind him, his hands landing on Stiles' shoulder as he set down the soldering tool. Peter's hand squeezed just a little harder than a human could or would. Stiles liked the show of the fact that Peter didn't hide what he was anymore from him. He was a good friend too. That had been a shock. Peter listened to him bitch, and he listened to Peter bitched about the idiots that he worked with.

"I need to finish this. About ten minutes. If I stop, I have to take things apart to get back inside as I can't leave this open."

"Of course," Peter said.

A few beeps told Stiles that he had actually set a fucking timer. Stiles pushed those thoughts away and worked on what he was doing. He had been working on this for a long while, and he was nearly done. Years of drawing and trials. It was all in his grasp. He didn't need to worry about anyone stealing it here. It was why he had started to actually fully work on it in the last two months. January and heading back to school had given Stiles the impetus he needed to finally get his hands into this. He hadn't trusted anyone that he went to school with. People asked all the time about it. He knew from high school that if one was doing better than someone who thought they were lesser, then well, they would sabotage. Stiles had spent too long developing this on his own to have someone come in and wreck it.

Stiles turned to check on Peter, who was sitting in the armchair in the room's corner. He had his phone out and was reading; his fingers were still, so Stiles knew he wasn't working unless he was reading over something for work. Emotions were not something that should be in this relationship, and yet, Stiles found himself craving being around Peter when he was down. It wasn't the worst thing in the world. Stiles was stable, and until his schooling was done, he was in a contract with Peter, and then he would be interviewed for a spot at HaleCorp, on which he might even qualify for a housing location in one of their apartment buildings. It was the best thing in the world for him.

"Stiles," Peter said as a chime went off.

Stiles placed the last bit of the chassis when Peter came up behind him. "Done."

"Wonderful, sweetheart. Now, I have dinner staying warm. Let's go." Peter's hand on his shoulder was softer now but no less what he wanted. Peter kept his hand on Stiles' shoulder like it would keep Stiles where he was if he really wanted to get away. Yet, there was nowhere else that Stiles wanted to be.

"Smells wonderful," Stiles said as he opened the door. The front doors were rarely locked on this floor since it was just Peter, Derek, Cora, and Spencer who lived there, and there were not many people who had access to the floor. Stiles still found it weird to be allowed up there with no one making sure he didn't do anything stupid. Yet, here he was. Stiles snagged a piece of bread before dropping down into his spot at the island. They rarely ate anywhere else unless it was the couch while watching something. The dinner table was covered in files of both of theirs, and it was okay. Peter liked things neat and clean, but he didn't mind having things that were needed out and about.

Stiles hadn't needed much time at all to get used to living with Peter. It was actually less time than it had taken for Stiles to get used to living with Scott.

They were nearly done with dinner when the phone rang. Stiles looked at it and frowned. His cell phone was on the counter a few feet away, right beside Peter's.

"I've not heard that ringtone before," Peter said.

"It's Scott." Stiles laid down his fork and stood up to walk over, picking up his phone as he did. He pressed the button to accept the call and then put it on speaker before laying it down. He didn't care for Peter to hear what Scott had to say. It wasn't like he couldn't hear anyway. "Hello."

"Stiles? Where are you?"

"I'm at home," Stiles said. He looked at Peter and rolled his eyes.

"No, you aren't. No one is answering the door, and the key doesn't work."

"Well, that's what happens when one moves out," Stiles said.

"Move out?" Scott asked.

Peter mouthed that Scott was a stupid idiot. Stiles just rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Scott, that's what happens when someone moves out of an apartment they are sharing with someone and doesn't have the decency to tell them or help them rent like they were supposed to for two months after to give them a chance to, you know, not to go broke or get thrown out."

"Stiles," Scott said, and it was the tone that told Stiles that Scott thought he was dramatic.

"Don't even do that shit with me, Scott McCall. I tried to text you, I called you, I never got an answer. So I worked my ass off and made enough to make rent the month you were gone, then I turned my eye to finding a place to stay that was in my budget."

Peter laughed a little at that, but he looked intrigued by the conversation.

"So why were you trying to get into the old place?" Stiles asked.

"I need a place to crash. I got into a fight with Allison and Isaac."

"Well, sorry, but I can't help you with that."

"But I have nowhere to go," Scott begged.

"Well, I'm sorry, Scotty, but it's not like you really gave me an option before. You just fucking left and didn't even tell me. I came home to your shit gone and haven't heard from you since then."

"No, we talked last week," Scott said.

"No, Scott, we haven't talked since you left the apartment. You went home for Thanksgiving and did a Skype thing for Christmas while I stayed here for Thanksgiving and went home for Christmas. We haven't talked since the end of October," Stiles said.

"No, you have to be wrong. You know how you lose time. We talked last week about that one party that you ditched on."

"Yup, the Halloween party," Stiles said.

Peter frowned at something and picked up his cell phone from where it was lighting up beside Stiles. He frowned deeper before pressing a kiss to Stiles' cheek and walking away. Stiles followed him to the door, where there was the sound of someone talking. Peter opened the door, and Stiles knew that voice. It was Allison. What the fuck was Allison doing here?

"Sorry, Scotty gotta go," Stiles said. He reached out and pressed the button to hang up on Scott.

"Allison Argent, what can I do for you?" Peter asked.

"I came to talk to you and to Derek, alone."

"Well, we can do mostly alone. I have a gentleman here who is allowed to hear anything and everything that has to do with the job," Peter said.

Stiles wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but he knew it had to do with the corporations if Allison was here. Stiles forgot that Allison was the heiress to ArgentCorp. It wasn't like he cared that much about that kind of thing. He walked over and started to clean up their dinner dishes. It was a simple rinse and into the dishwasher for them. He found the two bottles of wine that Peter had in the fridge all the time. He grabbed four glasses next. He poured a white for Allison and himself and then red for Derek and Peter.

Allison came inside, following Peter. Stiles handed her the wine.

"Thanks," Allison said, and she took a sip before looking up at Stiles. "Stiles?"

"Oh, you know each other?" Peter asked, but the tone that he used, Stiles knew well. Peter knew that Stiles knew Allison, but he also knew it wasn't a threat. Stiles liked Allison, okay, but it wasn't like she hung out with him.

"Yes, his best friend is one of my boyfriends."

Derek walked over to where Stiles had set the red wines and picked up a glass before he walked over to stand beside Stiles, draping an arm over his shoulder.

"I guess that my father's intelligence was wrong; the newest intern for HaleCorp isn't sleeping with Peter."

"Oh, no, I am sleeping with Peter, but I am not an intern. I'm still in school and will be finishing my doctorate like I'm supposed to before applying for a job at HaleCorp, like my scholarship states."

"I didn't know any of that. Scott doesn't talk about you much anymore," Allison said. She made it sound like she was worried that Stiles would be upset about that. He wasn't.

"Yes, well, that's what happens when someone moves out and doesn't even tell you," Stiles said.

"Well, I will go into that later with you. I have a minor issue with ArgentCorp, and my father said that me coming here to talk to you two wouldn't be as out of place as it would if he came." Allison looked at Stiles. "I understand why he said that now. I guess that things are really different now."

"What's wrong?" Peter asked.

"There is a trojan in your system."

"Yes, it was planted there by your aunt over a decade ago. We found it already and have dismantled it."

"Oh, she convinced my father that it was impossible to find. She was telling him that it was going to be the ruin of HaleCorp," Allison said. She took a drink of her wine, made a face at it, and then downed the entire thing.

Stiles grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass before adding a touch more to his own. He knew that Derek and Peter would nurse theirs.

"She wasn't nearly as smart as she thought that she was. Derek's computer that she put it onto always checks before adding in new programs to subroutines. It was caught before it even left his laptop." Peter looked smug.

"Oh, that's...why wasn't that brought up at the court trial?"

"Well, we have it all on file, and the DA for New York City has been sitting on it. There is no statute of limitations on that kind of crime. She could be tried for it tomorrow. I think we were waiting for her to come forward. I'm not on the legal team, so I am not sure."

Allison looked shocked at that. "You are as ruthless as my father stated."

"Allison, your aunt seduced and raped my nephew. I'm entitled to be ruthless when it comes to her. Now was that all? At least for the whole Hale and Argent feud?"

"Yes," Allison said.

"Good. I'll tell Talia and tell her that Kate is playing the other part of her plan. Derek, with me. Let Allison and Stiles discuss the buffoon in their lives."

Stiles laughed, topping off his glass with the last of the bottle before he waved Allison toward the kitchen. Allison didn't sit down when Stiles did, which was a good thing in Stiles' eyes. It meant she didn't feel comfortable.

"What are you doing here?"

"Here as in Peter's apartment?"

"Yes, Scott's at your place, and he's upset. You should be there."

"Well, two things, Allison. One, there is no place that is mine. Scott left me in the lurch and didn't pay two months' rent like he was supposed to before he left to move in with you. Thankfully I had a little time to make more money for the next rent payment, but I looked for a new place to live. My boyfriend let me move in with him." Stiles had been telling everyone that same story, even his father, when he called last week. It seemed that someone had seen Stiles on Peter Hale's arm in a gossip rag and told his father. "And two, he hadn't talked to me since before he moved in with you. He literally moved out and never told me he was moving. I came home to his shit gone. He did call me just before you got here, trying to get into the apartment that I no longer live in."

"He never...he said you were cool with it."

"And I would have been if he had been a fucking adult and told me about it and stuck to the agreement. The only reason I didn't sue his ass for breaking that was that his mother and my father would be the ones to end up paying for all of that."

"He's not like that," Allison said.

"No, not to you and Isaac he's not, but I've lived with this since we were in high school together. When he gets a girlfriend, or more recently a boyfriend, I get forgotten, and then when he needs me, he needs someone to tell him he's a good guy and shit, he comes crawling back to me. I'm sick and tired of it, and I'm done. I texted him for weeks after moving out, and he never responded. I told him I would end up on the streets with nowhere to live, and he didn't care. I've not considered Scott my friend since he stopped texting me."

Allison looked at Stiles like she saw a ghost or something. Stiles figured that it had to do with her understanding the man she was in a relationship with for the first time.

"Scott's a good friend, sometimes. Other's he's a horrible friend."

"He was bitching last week about his mother telling him that he wasn't calling enough. Isaac and I assumed it had to do with her not liking being that low on the list of his priorities. He's all she has."

"Actually, not really. I mean, she had my Dad. Dad said they have been enjoying things since they moved in together. Sounds like maybe she's getting the treatment that I have been getting for years."

"Stiles, I need to go to work. There is dessert in the fridge. Do try and get some sleep before class."

"I will. I promise to not go down to the workshop. I'm. Actually, I think I'm going to curl up in bed with a book." Stiles felt like he had been hit by a Mack truck, so he thought sleep was good. If it wasn't for the fact that Stiles knew that Peter would never drug him, he would assume that was why he was getting enough sleep. Stiles figured it had to do with less stress and better eating. For a bot, PeterPEter was fucking good at making food that Stiles liked. He was even eating it, wasting it in Stiles' opinion, sometimes, so Stiles wasn't always eating alone. Stiles liked the sentiment.

"Show Allison to the elevator when you are done. Security will handle it from there," Derek said.

"Yes, Sir," Stiles saluted Derek, who just laughed at him.

Peter walked over and gave Stiles a kiss that said he would miss him. They had plans, and if Peter had to go in now, he wouldn't be home in time to do them. Maybe a morning quickie before Stiles' class. Peter didn't need to sleep, and he was where he was charging himself nearly every night, so he was good to go on that front.

Then it was just him and Allison in the apartment.

"You moved in with Peter Hale?"

"Hey, it was a bedroom, and I have been able to focus on my schoolwork instead of working my ass off to afford a place to live. So yeah, I'm gonna move in with my boyfriend. Even if we had only been dating a few weeks at that point."

"Scott never mentioned you having a boyfriend or how you met him."

"Well, that's because Scott never asked, and he wasn't around enough for me to tell him about any of it. Look, I get that I'm not his priority. I know that he can't ever make me a priority over everyone in his life, but right now, I feel like I'm a toy that he only plays with when all of his other toys have been taken away. I'm not going to forgive him at any point in time that is soon. So you can tell him that, when or if you start talking to him again."

"Scott said you've been working a lot lately, and school is running you ragged. I just assumed it was why you have never been around. I really should have known that you wouldn't miss the newest Star Wars movie like that with the group, even if school that week was a bitch."

"Well, I was in Beacon Hills for that one, so yeah, I would have missed it, but if I was here, I would have gone with the group. Didn't even get a text from Scott about that. I got one from Isaac, though, and I told him I was in BH. He knew. I can't even guess why he didn't tell you or Scott that."

Allison looked like her world was shattered. She finished off her wine and made a few words about having to go. Stiles wasn't sure how she had got there, so instead of just walking her to the door and to the elevator, he went all the way down. One of the SecurityBots called a cab for her since she didn't seem stable. Stiles gave the address that she needed to go to.

"Do you need anything?" one of the human guards asked.

"Ah, no. Peter's at work after a small issue, and I'm just going to go to sleep."

"If you need anything, just call."

Stiles nodded his head and slipped out of the front hall. He needed to think, and he needed to think hard.

* * *

Stiles groaned as Peter nipped at his neck. Stiles woke up horny as hell after a week of every professor having a test that week. He had been in studying mode all week, and Peter had been good at not pushing if Stiles snapped at him. So Stiles had climbed into Peter's lap when he had been reading over a few files from work after he had gotten enough tea into him to function. They were on their third round of orgasms. Stiles was soft, naked on Peter's lap after sucking off Peter and getting a hand job for that and then being fucked over the back of the couch. Now they were just enjoying making out and touching. Peter wasn't hard, but Stiles knew that all it would take was Stiles' cock starting to harden, and he would get hard himself.

The door opening had Stiles looking. It had to be Derek, the only one who was in the building at the moment. Spencer and Cora were with their father on a trip to San Francisco.

"Shit," Derek said, and he tried to turn and leave but was stopped by something else.

Stiles realized that Derek wasn't trying to leave; he tried to stop Stiles' father from coming in.

"Give them a moment, Sheriff. I had assumed that they would still be asleep with how much Stiles didn't sleep this week." Derek turned his head. "Get dressed."

"Fine," Peter said. He stood up, keeping Stiles in his arms.

Stiles couldn't move. His father had flown out to New York City. He hadn't been out since Stiles had come to school, and even then, he had just come for a single day visit before flying back home. He didn't like to be that far away from work, even if he was on vacation. There was a reason why vacations had been fishing and such after Stiles' mother died if they even went on one.

Peter shoved clothes at Stiles and urged him to get dressed. Stiles wasn't even sure what he was wearing. Thankfully after fucking on the couch, they had showered. Stiles wasn't sure what the hell his father was doing here. They had talked several times this week, with Stiles taking a few minutes break to talk to him. Once it had been Skype and Stiles had worked on the diagram for homework that he had to do. He had been attentive to his father when they talked.

"Stiles?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, I'm here," Stiles said.

"You really aren't, sweetheart, but I don't know what to do here."

"Breakfast, just make breakfast for all four of us, and don't let Derek leave. Please."

"Sure." Peter kissed Stiles' cheek and then slipped out of the room.

Stiles walked to the bathroom and leaned against the counter. He looked at his face to see that he had a little fat on his cheeks again, not anything bad, just enough that he knew he was finally back where he should be for health. Peter had freaked out when Stiles' test results had come back. Stiles knew what it felt like to have his diet controlled, but Peter at least listened to Stiles about what he liked and didn't like, and Stiles did eat what he was expecting. He didn't want to die early, but he also knew the only reason he was like he was wasn't in his control as much. Peter felt responsible, and Stiles didn't like him feeling like that, especially since he wasn't. He didn't know the school had someone who was stealing from students.

When he was ready, Stiles headed into the main room. Peter was at the stove cooking something in a pan. His father was sitting at the island with a coffee cup in his hand. Derek was in the living room and was flipping through a book. He looked up at Stiles and smiled at him, reassuring.

"Hey, Dad. What brings you to New York City?"

"Well, Allison and Isaac called and talked to Melissa yesterday morning, and then I was pulled into it. It seems that they are breaking up with Scott, and he has nowhere to live. Which, Melissa and I agree is his fault and not yours at all. Allison also explained everything. Everything like you nearly being put out on the streets."

"Dad, it was never that dire. I was moving in with Peter before it even got to that point. I had made enough from working catering to get my place paid for. I promise. I was dramatic after Scott tried to guilt me into letting him stay here after his fight with Allison and Isaac that started all of this."

"Melissa also commented on the fact that it seemed that you have been lying to me about a lot of things since you've gone to school here."

"And?" Stiles asked. He slipped over to where Peter was pulling a tea strainer out of the cup of tea and added in the touch of sugar that he liked. Stiles picked up the mug and inhaled the scent. It wasn't his favorite tea, but then he didn't want that tea tainted with the brush of the fight he was about to have with his father.

"And what? You are my son."

"Yup, a son that nearly raised himself. A son that chose what he wanted to do with his life, and you disagreed on what I wanted. I think the words you said were that you couldn't wait for me to come crawling back on my knees begging for your help when I failed out of school halfway across the country. Well, Dad, I'm going to be at the top of my class. There is no one else even fucking close to me. My advisor said that I would have to fail epically for the last semester to not be valedictorian."

Stiles looked at his father's face for a few seconds before looking down at his tea. He blew over the top to cool it down and took a sip.

"I never...meant it like that," Noah said.

"So what exactly did you mean it as, Dad? You seemed so proud of me when I got that scholarship that basically allowed me to go anywhere. This school has the best degree for the path I'm taking. You knew I would go to the best school that I could. I have talked about nothing else since you brought home that one robotic dog that the Sheriff's department was hosting and training for HaleCorp. I taught you how to train it and what was wrong with the programming as the study went along. HaleCorp is here, and I never planned on being anywhere but where HaleCorp was."

"You were supposed to stay close to home," Noah said.

"Why? So I could come in second place to your job as I have since mom died? So I could see all of my friends having the time of their life at college?"

"Why didn't you come to me for help with rent after your scholarship fell through?"

"Because I didn't want to hear it from you, that's why. I chose to just do it all myself so that I didn't have to hear you talking about how you said this was going to happen. The Hales are taking that to court, by the way. The financial aid office guy was stealing that money from not only me but at least ten other people over the last decade. He had to scrape and do shit he didn't like to do to get through college, so he picks someone with a good room and board scholarship and tells them that they fell through while squirreling the money away. He's going to jail because as soon as the Hales are done with him, the state's probably going to go after him."

"I didn't..." Noah trailed off and took a drink of his coffee before sighing. "You never came to me with any of this."

"Dad, you are in California. As soon as Peter knew that the scholarship had issues, he started to dig into it. You really weren't needed to do anything with it. It's not like you have a pull here. It's all being taken care of. The Hales have even offered to allow me to live anywhere that I want for the next while on their dime. Peter lavishes me with gifts that I think are trying to make up for me working myself nearly to death to make the rent on the place that Scott found for us and then left me in."

"That's the main reason I came here. Melissa wants to understand why you didn't come to us."

"You guys would have scraped together to send the money, and I know you guys had your honeymoon planned soon. Since you didn't get to go after you got married. Then that would just have Scott pissed at me for wrecking what he sees as the perfection that is your marriage. I normally don't mind pissing people off, but it seems like when it's a thing between Scott and me, you both come down on his side. You and I were just getting to where it felt like we were connecting again."

"Yeah, because you are lying and not telling me everything. You are my son."

"Maybe you should act like I am then," Stiles said. He turned and grabbed his cell phone from where he had set it last. He didn't even remember doing that. He really needed to cool off, and he knew that Peter would know where to find him when the time was right.

* * *

Peter finished up breakfast like he hadn't heard every word said between Stiles and his father. If Derek actually put off scents like a normal human, he was sure that Derek would have smelled like misery. Peter would make sure that Stiles told Derek that he wasn't upset with him. It wasn't like Derek had brought Stiles' father to cause an issue. Derek had probably just run into him and knew him from the pictures that were in Stiles' room. He probably thought he was doing a good thing.

"I messed up," Noah said.

"I can't answer to that. I only know his side of things, Sheriff," Peter said. He grabbed the carafe, refilled Noah's cup, and pushed the creamer over to him.

"No, his side of things is more than enough for you to tell me."

"He's hurt. Sometimes when someone is hurt, even the smallest thing makes the biggest scar."

"Melissa pointed out that I have been favoring Scott since they were teenagers. I didn't mind Scott coming out here to school, and I hated that Stiles did, and I let him know it. Claudia would hate me for what I have been doing since she died when it comes to him. Did he tell you I was drinking a lot after she died?"

"He mentioned that if you ever came out, I was to not offer you even a beer. I really only have wine, so that is not an issue, but I understand his reasoning. So yes, he had talked about your drinking, and after you gave up on that after your deputies threatened you with your job, you then substituted your job for alcohol."

"He really hasn't pulled punches, has he? He's never really dated since he got out here."

"Well, freshman year, he was trying to make sure he did well, and then after that, he didn't have time between working and school work. It's a lot of work to do that, and most boyfriends or girlfriends like to feel like they rate somewhere at the top. It works well for him and I as I work nearly as much as he does on his schoolwork."

"He's put on weight again," Noah said.

"Yes, it's what a good diet will do for one. He doesn't have to worry about working to make ends meet. He gets enough sleep."

"Did Scott really just leave?" Noah asked.

"You aren't asking Stiles that?"

"Scott says that he talked to Stiles about it, but then Allison said something about Stiles, saying they hadn't talked since Halloween. I mean, I remember that Stiles made a few mentions of Scott not being at home, and then Scott blew up at him for not wanting to go to a Halloween party. Stiles had a paper that was due, and the professor had changed something that made it so that Stiles had to do it again from scratch."

"Were you aware that Scott's nearly failing the last class that he needs to get into vet school? And that the rest of his grades are not enough to get him in there unless he passes the class with a perfect score?" Derek asked.

"What? No, Scott says his grades are good."

"Not according to Stiles, and he got that from Isaac. I guess earlier this week, Isaac found Stiles and apologized for his part in everything. He feels like shit since he was the one who was pushing Scott to move in with them without even thinking about the finances of Stiles being alone. Isaac forgot that Stiles hadn't gotten his rent covered by the scholarship like Scott did."

"I feel like I've been the worst parent in the world," Noah said.

"I can't help you there. I do have a question, though. Why do you believe Scott over Stiles?" Peter asked. He served up the last of the breakfast food before working on getting it onto three different plates. He would eat a little bit to help settle Noah, but Derek could take food down to Stiles, where he was hiding in the lab, working through emotions.

Peter understood a lot of what Stiles was going through. He didn't have anything like it in his life. He was loved by his parents, and he knew it. His parents had given him the world and their love. They loved him and Talia just the same. Stiles hadn't even had a biological sibling to feel like they weren't enough for; his father's girlfriend's kid was that person. Peter knew all about Stiles and Scott meeting after Stiles' mother died and how close they became, and then their parents had become close as well.

It made Stiles feel like he was the unwanted child, which Peter didn't understand on Noah's part. Stiles was the smartest fucking kid at the college at the moment. Other tech companies were baying at Stiles' heel if HaleCorp didn't take him. Peter wasn't in this to keep him, but Stiles had agreed to apply at HaleCorp before applying anywhere else when he took the scholarship. There was already one department head who had a hard-on for Stiles' brain just based on a paper that Peter had shared with them.

Stiles was the kind of kid that Peter's family would have loved to have had. Peter wished that he had three just like him, even though he had never wanted children.

"I don't know," Noah said.

"That's a lie if I ever heard it," Peter said.

Noah glared at Peter before digging into his food. Derek came over and snagged the plate for Stiles as well as a bottle of juice from the fridge.

"Make sure he eats it all," Peter called as the door was shutting.

"Where did Stiles go?" Noah asked.

"The lab in the basement of the building. It's not fully equipped, but it works well enough for him. He doesn't have to go to the lab at school, and no one here would ever steal a design from him like they would at the school. So answer my question."

"Stiles was always hyper, getting into t things. It was his ADHD, and after his mother died, I didn't have as much time to indulge him. He acted out some, getting negative attention. Then it kind of stopped. Still though, anytime something happened, I knew that Stiles was the cause of it, and it just led to the thinking that Scott was the good kid and Stiles the bad one."

"So you began to hate your child for the attention he needed after losing what sounds like both of his parents in one fell swoop."

"I think it's a good way of putting it. I think I have a lot of soul searching to do."

"Yes, you do. He's safe here, and he's happy; that is not to say that he wouldn't be happy having his father back in his life. He's not so old that it's impossible. Just be honest with him. I've learned he likes honesty above all other things. He's a lovely young man, and he's happy, but I know that he misses you."

"I miss him, and I was too prideful to tell him that after the way I acted when he went to college here. I got angry because he didn't want to stay here when I should have supported him getting into the country's best school for his degree, and then I couldn't take it back. I can't help but wonder how things would have gone with him and his job and his scholarship if I had actually known about it more in-depth. He dealt with it like he always had, though. He got through it and excelled at both."

"Yes, his former boss Selene misses him. It's how I met him. Actually, he was working at a party that I was at. We flirted, and I asked him out for coffee the next morning. He brought books. Said that if the date sucked, at least he could get some schoolwork done. It became a habit that I would bring files and his school stuff. It was great to find someone like me."

The truth was fudged there a little bit. They did have little coffee dates like that, but Stiles hadn't caught on that they were dates. Peter loved just working and being around Stiles like that.

"He likes his fun, but someone else is paying for him to go to school, so he's going to get the most out of his money."

"Talia did note that he was getting the full amount each semester. I hope with grad school he slacks a little bit."

"Probably not. He will take all the money he can squeeze out of the scholarship. So yeah, that's how that's going to be."

"Well, I refuse to let him run himself into the ground. He'll have to endure my mothering," Peter said.

Peter had already made a few plans on what he would do over the summer with Stiles to get him settled into life with him. It was a little underhanded, but if Stiles didn't fall in love with him by the end, Peter would let him go.

"I want my boy in my life again," Noah said.

"Then you need to show him that he is important. You need to sit down and talk to him about everything. Listen to him and work on correcting the issues. He'll refuse at first, but if you beg, he might listen to you."

Noah nodded his head. He finished off his food in silence, with Peter picking at his. He didn't mind eating well when Stiles was there to make fun of him for doing it. Peter had receptors to taste the food; it was part of the neural net that made him up and allowed him to act human.

"So, I have a box bought already for the upcoming Mets season. Pick a few games and plan to come to weekend games here or something. I also have plans to take him to a Mets game in California to spend the rest of the weekend visiting people he wants back home without worrying about a ticket being bought to fly him to and from. Having the company jet at my disposal is kind of great in that regard. Do you have a flight home set?"

"Yes, it's tomorrow morning."

"I'll have my niece cancel that and get the jet prepped. We can all go to Beacon Hills. I have to check on something there, and Stiles has wanted to go with me. I was supposed to go later but this weekend will be good. I'm sure the builders are ready for me."

"I've seen the land just outside of town the new facility is being built on. Caught a few teens trying to sneak onto it as well. If Stiles was that age, he would be right there, but to see the technology."

"Well, he won't have to sneak. It will give you more time with him and more time to patch things over."

Noah nodded his head.

Peter wasn't sure what would happen with all of this, but at least Noah was willing.

"No, Stiles, he's still here. I can hear him."

"You can hear him. Bah," Stiles said. It sounded like they were just off the elevator. "Oh my God. You are like Peter!"

"Yes," Derek said.

Peter smiled at that. Derek was cautious. Even less knew about him than knew about Peter. He liked it that way, and no one was ever going to force it. His team was smaller, but he was no less as well cared for.

"And he's not pissed?" Stiles asked.

"No, he doesn't sound pissed. His heart rate is pretty normal, actually."

"Okay. Okay. I can do this. I can tell him how shitty he's made me feel. I can make him feel just as shitty, and then we can work it all out."

Peter kept his laugh to himself at Stiles' choice of words. It was a poor choice but par for the course for Stiles.

The apartment door opened up, and Derek came in first with Stiles' empty plate. Stiles was next with a stack of papers. He looked determined, and he looked beautiful.

* * *

Where are my socks?" Stiles demanded as he tried to roll out of bed.

"In the living room. I stripped them off out there." Peter reached out and pulled Stiles back into the bed. "Get a new pair. New underwear as well, even though I like the idea of you wearing them with my spit all over them."

Stiles laughed at that, but he wiggled out of Peter's arms. The goal was not to keep Stiles in bed but to calm him down.

It didn't last for long, for as soon as Stiles was dressed and in the kitchen to eat the casserole that Peter had prepared for him for the week, he was nervous again.

"You've got this in the bag," Peter said.

"I know."

"I'll be there for as much as I can.'' Peter had taken the day off to spend with Stiles as he defended his dissertation. He wouldn't be able to be there for all of it, though, as Stiles had to do parts alone.

"Let's get going. I would rather pace in the room outside of the hall than to do it here."

"Of course, Sweetheart," Peter pressed a kiss to Stiles' forehead before following him to the door. Stiles had eaten more than Peter thought he would. Peter had also texted Spencer that there was food in his kitchen for him to eat.

The drive took little time, and Peter was left with a Stiles who couldn't sit down for the life of him. He paced and read his notes, paced some more, then read notes even more.

"Mieczyslaw Stilinski?" a woman called from the door.

Peter stood up and pulled Stiles in to kiss him. Stiles' kiss back was a little wooden, but Peter would forgive him. Peter remembered this well from his own time going through this.

Stiles followed the lady through the doors, and then it was just Peter waiting along with the kid who was going next. He looked like he was going to puke. Peter really hoped that he didn't. He would hate to have to shut down his nasal passages so that he didn't smell it. His chest would expand and contract like normal even if he wasn't actually doing any breathing. It was nice, and Peter wished humans could do the same.

Peter worked through the budget issues in his head and tried not to focus through the door and listen to what was happening there. Stiles had made him promise, and there was one thing that Peter had learned over the last three and a half years, there was little that Peter wouldn't do for Stiles.

It was nearly two hours later that Stiles left the room. He looked at Stiles' face to see he looked happy. He looked a lot less stressed.

"Well?"

"They greeted me as Doctor Stilinski. I mean, there is a few weeks of paperwork and a few other things, but yes, I did it." Stiles leaped at Peter when he got close enough. He wrapped his arms around Peter's neck and then his legs around his waist. Peter spun him around and laughed at the same time that Stiles did. Stiles had done what few had been able to do, which was get a doctorate in three years instead of the average of just over eight years. "I did it!"

"You did do it, beautiful boy," Peter said.

"Now I can't do anything until tomorrow, so let's go with whatever plans you have," Stiles said.

"Whatever makes you think I have anything planned?" Peter asked.

"I know you, Peter. I know you have something lavish and grand planned, and I want to do it."

"You want to?" Peter asked.

"Yes, I do. I want you to treat me like you like to. Like I matter."

"You do matter."

"I know that I do. I know that you believe it, and for a while, I pushed away from that because of it, but I do matter. I matter to you and to Derek and to Cora. I matter to people, and for the first time in my life, I matter to myself." Stiles rubbed his nose against Peter's.

"Then let's go and get dressed. I have a lovely new outfit for you to wear."

It took an hour for Stiles to declare himself ready enough to go. Peter worked during that since he only needed a few minutes to get ready. He already had gotten his outfit laid out and things ready. Stiles needed time since he cared for how he looked for once.

The restaurant had a red carpet, and Stiles enjoyed himself as he walked down it. Peter knew that once they got home, Stiles was going to pass out. He had been working hard over the last week, and while Peter had tried to make him sleep as much as possible, sometimes it was hard for Stiles to just sleep. Peter was pretty sure that the wine with dinner was going to make him sleepy enough that he might just pass out in the car on the way home.

"Have you already laid down the menu?" Stiles asked after they were shown to their table in the area where they could be alone. There were a few tables near them, but all of them had large displays that blocked visual sight and how the acoustics worked. Even Peter had trouble hearing what they were saying. It worked well for a place to go that was different than normal. A few waitresses worked here that Peter didn't like and a single waiter, but the management had already promised that Peter would not get them. He was glad of that.

"Yes, I already did pick out the whole menu except for one of your side dishes for your meal, steak, by the way, and your dessert. There were three different desserts I couldn't pick from. If you really want all three, you can get all three and take what you don't eat home."

"Oh, no. One is fine."

"Hello, Mister Hale, Mister Stilinski, welcome, and I hope you have a wonderful evening. Here is the sides list for the day as well as the dessert menu." The waiter laid those two cards down on the table beside Stiles before he worked on setting down their wine glasses and filling them. There was already water on the table. Peter was glad that they were giving them larger glasses of water. Probably to make sure the waiter didn't have to come back that often since Peter enjoyed not being bugged all that much.

"I'll take the mixed vegetables and the peanut butter and chocolate dessert."

"Of course, Sir. The first course will be out in a few minutes. Just wave at me if you need anything. I'll check on the table visually to check drink levels." The waiter took the cards back from Stiles before walking away.

"They know you well, huh?" Stiles asked. He picked up his wine glass to take a sip of it. Stiles' smile at the wine was worth it not matching up to their meal all that much. Stiles still wasn't much for wine, and this meal was all about him.

"They all are looking at me like they know exactly what we are," Stiles said.

"And what do they think we are?" Peter asked.

"They think I am some kind of twink dress-up doll that you fuck," Stiles said.

"I agree that's what most think but isn't at least two of those things correct?"

"You do like to dress me up, but fuck is not the verb I would use to describe what we do all the time. Sometimes, yes, but you've been seducing me for three years, Peter and I know it. You played a very long game in making it to where I don't want to leave when my degree is had, and I have a job at your company."

"And when did you figure that out?" Peter asked. He wasn't worried about Stiles slipping away from him because of it.

"About two weeks ago, actually, when you refused to talk to me about moving out when I asked."

"That's why you didn't sleep well that night. I assumed it was because you were worried about your dissertation. Which, you have lost a lot of sleep over."

"No, it was going over everything for the last three years, and how I missed it, all, and boy did I fucking miss it all. When exactly did you decide you wanted to keep me around for the long term?"

"For sure, and I wasn't worried about it? That morning that I got a call and had to go into the office to deal with an idiot who had shredded the wrong fucking papers, the ones that hadn't been scanned into the computer that we had to print again before the meeting with investors so that we didn't get a call from the IRS and have a spot check on shit. You weren't even pissed that I had to finish up quickly and then left you for an entire day when we were supposed to celebrate you passing that class with perfect marks even though the professor hated you."

"Dude, it was work."

"Yes, and you wouldn't believe that even the people I pay to have sex with me get pissed if I have to leave like that."

"I jerked off, rolled over, and fell asleep again," Stiles said, shrugging his shoulders.

"And that's what makes you different."

"So what exactly is going to change?" Stiles asked.

"Nothing really needs to. The apartment is paid for, and the utilities are all paid in a joint account that Derek and I pay into and Talia and Greg to cover Cora and Spencer. I don't eat, and it's not a hardship to pay for groceries. If you want to pitch in on that, you can. We really don't have to change a thing. I already call you my boyfriend or partner, depending on the audience. We went with that instead of anything else so that people didn't really bat eyes at us all that much."

Stiles nodded his head. He looked to the side and set down his wine glass as the waiter came back with two men behind him with what was their first course. It was a salad. It looked really good. Peter would enjoy eating tonight as everything was going to be wonderful tasting.

The meal passed quickly, with Stiles keeping up chatter about how his defense went, but he also ate more than Peter thought that he would, including all of his dessert. He also drank a little more wine than Peter thought and was delightfully drunk by the time that they were leaving. Peter kept his arm around Stiles' shoulder to direct him out of the restaurant. Stiles leaned fully into him and giggled when he nearly fell over, tripping over nothing.

Stiles did pass out in the car nearly as soon as Peter shut the door. He was fully asleep by the time Peter got the car started. Peter looked over at him and sighed. He had fallen in love, and he knew it. He had kept on putting off everything until the end, and still, it seemed that Stiles had figured that out. He hadn't said the words yet, and Peter wasn't sure what Stiles thought about him. Peter wasn't going to push him on that one. Stiles deserved the time needed to figure himself out instead of being pushed. Pushing Stiles would just hurt the both of them.

* * *

Peter didn't sleep as much as he powered down to where things around him didn't register. Yet, he was still able to be shocked by things that Stiles regularly did. Every once in a while, Stiles would surprise him with something, like getting him unplugged from the charging port without fully bringing him to full wakefulness. Instead, Stiles was stealthy when he needed to be. Like now where he was kissing down Peter's neck. Peter knew that he wasn't plugged in and was at full power.

"Good morning," Stiles said as he looked up at Peter from where he was still halfway under the covers. The blankets had fallen down around Stiles' head a little, and he looked adorable.

"Good morning. What is this?"

"Well, I wanted celebratory sex, but someone got me drunk and didn't sex me up."

"You know that I don't mind if you are only a little drunk, but between the stress being gone, the sleep you haven't been getting, and being drunk, you were asleep before we even got home. I picked you up and carried you up here, and you never once woke up. Even after I stripped you naked. So no, I did not sex you up while you were asleep. I know that's not your kink."

"Yeah, no, it's not, but now I'm awake and want sex, and since you got me drunk, you just need to lie there and take it."

"Oh really?" Peter asked as he lifted up his arms to lay his head on them, eyeing Stiles' body. Stiles was already hard, and the faint scent of lube told Peter why. Stiles laughed a little as he pushed the blankets down his body as he sat fully up. He reached behind to work Peter's cock to hardness, using a little lube that was still on his hand. Peter waited to make sure that the glide down his cock was enough before allowing Stiles to do what he wanted. There were enough receptors on his cock that he would know if there was enough lube. Stiles wasn't one to forgo enough lube, but sometimes he got too worked up.

"Yeah, that's what I want," Stiles said.

"I would have thought you would want to fuck me in celebration," Peter said.

"Oh, that's going to come later. I want you to be ready for that. I have plans. So many plans, and they start with you being clean. I want to worship your ass before I fuck it so hard that you never think about anyone else ever again. I'm gonna be the only person for you for the rest of my life," Stiles said.

"Hmm," Peter said. He grunted as Stiles slipped the rest of the way down onto his cock.

Stiles loved sex and had spent the last three years learning the things he liked and the things he didn't. He loved fucking Peter, but he liked taking his time. Quick and dirty was always Peter fucking him. Peter didn't mind it at all. He loved it when they were doing anything, really. He was a sexual creature as it were, and he bonded better through his jackbot programming higher than others inside of him on his own wants. The feel of Stiles around his cock, though, had always felt better.

Peter would have said he was attached to all of his partners in some way but nothing compared to Stiles. Even for Peter, love did seem to make the sex better. Peter had fallen in love slowly as Stiles had become himself, not the stressed-wrecked student he had been.

"Don't just lie there," Stiles said as he dropped his head down to look at Peter.

Peter grinned and bounced his hips some, using his leg muscles. Stiles nearly fell off of him. Stiles started to laugh at what Peter had done, and it was the best thing in the world to Peter. Peter reached up and cupped the side of Stiles' face, drawing him down into a kiss before wrapping his arm around him to roll them.

"I love you," Peter whispered into Stiles' ear. He rolled his hips and drew a gasp from Stiles' lips. There was little else from Stiles' mouth as Peter made love to him. Stiles crested with ease, and Peter followed after, his lips claiming Stiles' mouth again.

"I love you, too," Stiles said.

Peter hummed as he nuzzled at Stiles' neck; the scent of them was there. The subtle scent that Peter's flesh gave off and the mimicked sweat. He let himself slump down to settle in half on top of Stiles, who was breathing hard and more than a little freaked out.

"I mean it," Stiles said.

"I know you do. I also know that the people you love give you issues. Your mother left you, your father was absent most of your teenage and young adult years. Scott's Scott."

"He's not liking who he's staying with."

"What?"

"Its cousins on his father's side. The whole family moved here since the twins started college this year; he stays in their guest room and isn't allowing guests to stay the night. He's being cramped on going out, and manwhoring as Isaac calls it."

"Isaac?" Peter asked. He knew that Stiles kept in some contact with Allison but had had since high school. The Isaac bit was new.

"Isaac and Allison are doing good, and before Isaac would bitch at Scott when he needed to about Allison, at Allison about Scott. The three of them did not have a good relationship with the three of them. Allison needs to pick and be happy with who she chooses, which I think will be Isaac. Despite Isaac's mental health issues, that he is seeking help on, he's more stable, and Allison needs that with taking over ArgentCorp."

"She'll be a good person to take over once Chris has her trained up. She's got a good head on her shoulders, and Chris never allowed her aunt or grandfather much access to her."

"I do mean it, you know," Stiles said.

"I know, sweetheart. I know. I could hear it in the beat of your heart, the way you said it. I know you wouldn't say it if you didn't mean it. So how about you just shush up and doze while I lay here and think." Peter rolled them to where Stiles was on top of Peter, their preferred way to sleep after sex.

"You think too much." Stiles yawned as he said it, though. He closed his eyes, and Peter was left with a sleeping young man on his chest and his thoughts.

The front door opened, so Peter grabbed a blanket and threw it over them, barely moving Stiles as he did it. It was Cora who walked into the room. She had a tray of drinks.

"Derek and Spencer were coming over. They are not going to take no for an answer," Cora said.

"Ugh, fine." Peter shook Stiles' shoulder.

"Five more minutes," Stiles begged, and he turned his head down into Peter's chest.

"I'm getting up, and I'll allow you five minutes, but you might want that five to get cleaned up. The rats are invading."

Cora blew a raspberry at them, which had Stiles flipping her off. He sighed and wrapped his arms behind Peter's neck. Peter sat up in bed and carried Stiles into the bathroom. He dropped him onto the counter, where Stiles groaned and tried to keep a hold of Peter even though he was stepping back.

"I should have known," Stiles said.

"What?" Peter asked.

"That you wanted more. You were cuddly nearly off the bat. You indulge me. I feel a little like I've been Stockholm syndromed by you. You seduced me slowly and with purpose."

"I told you long ago that I always get what I want, but if you weren't happy, I would step back and not go after the knees of anyone else you found to love."

"And that's why I love you. You taught me how to be me again. You made me be myself when I wanted to be anyone but myself. I'm happy about that, Peter."

"I know. Now clean up. Shower because you still stink of wine. I'm going to clean up and see what was brought for food and if I approve you eating it."

"You take too much enjoyment out of getting my food controlled."

"I know, but I want to keep you around for a while. I allow you the fun stuff."

Stiles laughed and shoved Peter away from him with a grin on his face. He slipped off the counter and into the shower before starting it up. The water didn't take long at all to get warm enough for him. If Cora wasn't in the other room, Peter would join him there. He was all for wet and wild times with Stiles when they were alone. Peter dressed in the first clothes that he could find in his closet.

Cora was sitting at the island, her phone out and reading over something on it. Peter walked up behind her and pressed a kiss to her head.

"Good morning, Cora," Peter said.

"So he texted Spencer that he got it. I'm a little miffed he didn't text Derek and me as well."

"He probably thought it was the group chat. He's done that before when he is not paying attention."

"Agreed."

The door opened again, and this time Derek and Spencer fell inside. They were laughing and carrying grocery bags from the store.

"What is this?"

"Omelettes. Stiles loves them, and I thought he and I could have fun making them. Well, picking what we want in them, and you make them." Spencer was smiling as he said it.

"I guess so. Do you have enough eggs?"

"We got two dozen. And veggies. Derek said he would cut them up. I got American cheese for Stiles and gouda for me. What do you think about mushrooms?"

"Don't get them anywhere near Stiles," Cora said.

"He doesn't like them?"

"Not cooked. He likes them raw in things, but the texture is something he doesn't like." Peter took the first bag from Derek and pulled out the eggs. There were also bags of fresh potatoes shredded for hash browns. It was the same ones that Peter always got for Stiles. It looked like there was enough for their lunch as well.

"Okay, let's get cooking," Spencer said.

Stiles stumbled out of the bedroom, his hair wet and a mess, but he was dressed in real clothes. He looked happy and healthy, much better than he had when Peter had met him.

The future for them was up in the air, but Peter found that they could do anything together.

# The End

**Author's Note:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story!
> 
> I can be found on MeWe [here](https://mewe.com/i/beccaqueen1), join me there and we can discuss my fics and whatnot.


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